


Retribution

by quillsick



Category: Last of Us - Fandom, The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Ending, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bisexual Character, But only a little, Drama, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Healing, I tend to love the most hated ships, Lesbian Character, Pain, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 36,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quillsick/pseuds/quillsick
Summary: Abby and Ellie chase the unattainable while healing in a decidedly different manner.
Relationships: Abby/Ellie, Ellie Williams/Abby Anderson, Ellie Williams/Abigail Anderson, Ellie/Abby, mentions of abby/owen, mentions of ellie/dina
Comments: 45
Kudos: 156





	1. pitfalls

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve meant to churn out the first chapter of this slow-burn nightmare for a while, so here we go. Caution - this is an eventual Ellie/Abby fic, so if you are not a fan - please evacuate while you can! 
> 
> This story begins in a slightly alternate timeline from the events of the game. We start after three characters choose to make a handful of very different decisions.  
> 1\. Owen deserted to Santa Barbara while Abby and Yara rescued Lev. Dispirited, Abby fled with Lev to travel north along the coast instead of following her former friends to southern California. In a desperate effort to find a place in the world for them, she heads to an abandoned conduit for the Fireflies - an enigmatic hunting lodge from her adolescence.  
> 2\. Tommy refused to cooperate with Jesse and his request to come home. He instead continued his pursuit for revenge against Abby, having found evidence she defected and is wanted for murder by the Washington Liberation Front.  
> 3\. Broken from finding a mere empty aquarium after killing Nora, Ellie returned to the theater. Tommy's refusal to return to Jackson spurs her to make a drastic decision to abandon Dina and Jesse to bring him home. 
> 
> With that, we start in a little town on the outskirts of Montana.
> 
> (Shameless plug: Feel free to follow me at quillsickink.tumblr.com for related updates.)

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie's sneakers slap hard against the pavement as she trots down the arcade's alley. She pushes sharply against the emergency exit, ignoring the cold rain pelting her face. She hisses, nearly losing her balance on a slick patch of cracked asphalt. 

"Fuck-" She breathes after righting herself and throws her shoulder against the entrance. 

The hinges are stubborn, but after a couple of shoves, it gives way. She shrinks inside and pulls back the hood of her jacket from her soaked head of hair.

 _Shouldn't have bothered,_ Ellie thinks bitterly, wiping the rainwater from her eyes. A finger strokes the grip of her revolver as she takes a moment to check her sixes. 

She presses the switch attached to her pack's flashlight, and it flickers on, illuminating the dusty room. Storm clouds had quickly blotted out the setting sun on the ruined city, and the sound of rolling thunder was enclosing on the outskirts of town. 

Ellie shudders and takes a moment to run her hands along her forearms in a vain attempt to warm herself. She strips herself tiredly of her wet coat and overshirt and tosses the articles across the back of a weathered chair to dry.

It was going to be hell managing to pick up Tommy's trail again after tonight if she relied on the ground.

Whatever tracks or evidence he or Abby had left behind would have surely been washed away by morning. She groans at the possibility. There had been many nights where she was left to wrestle with the genuine possibility of giving up and returning to Jackson. 

  
Ellie didn't want to face another morning of wrestling with herself at another dead end.

  
Above Scars, Wolves, and infected - the weather had proven to be Ellie's most frustrating obstacle. Heavy and often unpredictable showers had kept her circling the area for far longer than she had anticipated. It seemed each time she caught the wind of Tommy's trail, she was met with nothing.

  
 _Another late night_ , she thinks, trotting quickly up the stairs. The second floor had a window featuring a downhill view of a formerly commercial section of town. It was worth the long sprint back in the storm if it meant camping with a good line of sight for the evening.

It had been difficult to move anywhere since yesterday, and she had doubts Tommy could cover much ground either. Not being able to see the ground six feet in front of you would be enough for anyone to seek shelter. 

Ellie catches her breath and slides down the wall next to the open window. Her eyes scan the darkening streets, looking for the sign of fire or flashlight inside an endless assortment of broken, boarded windows.

It was easy to look for signs of life here; it had been improbably peaceful since her arrival. There seemed to be little human presence at all, save for the band of Wolves she had stalked here. She had heard gunfire some days ago, her only clue that Tommy was still lingering somewhere nearby. Trees had taken over most of the downtown buildings, uprooting foundations and creating a canopy of shade and a sea of broken concrete. It was the perfect place to hide, both for herself and Tommy... or Abby.

The thought of the latter intruded into the forefront of her mind more often than she liked to admit. The thought of running into her had become an obsession, one that plagued her constantly.

She knew in her core that the woman who murdered Joel was probably long gone, and any hope of retribution had died weeks ago. She wonders if Tommy's search for her had gone cold.

She carefully rifles through her pack and plucks free a pair of cracked binoculars and her journal, pushing the thought of Joel's killer away. If was painful to dwell on, causing her to lose her focus.

Ellie peers through the lens, searching for the tell-tale signs of flashlight or fire. 

She allows her arms to rest against the windowsill. Muscles ache from a tedious day of tracking, and she is hungry, but there's little motivation to eat. Not right now. 

"Goddamnit," She whispers under her breath. All clues pointed the other woman had headed north along the freeway to this place. Ellie had no choice but to follow the wolves' tire tracks carefully, a tedious process, and a measure of Ellie's patience. 

Ellie had spent weeks trodding after them. Just far enough behind as not to alert them of her presence, but close enough that she couldn't lose them in an emergency.

 _Snake, traitor, bitch._ There were many choice words the WLF had picked to reference Abby, which piqued her interest. Ellie had only picked up bits of conversation, but it seemed her former brethren had equally vitriolic relationships with her. 

_Wonder what the hell you did to them. Something alarming enough to send a squad after you, at least._

Despite the slow start, stalking them had provided her with an unreliable stream of information. The circumstance had proven to be working in Ellie's favor, and that's all that mattered at present. Following them hadn't been easy in any capacity, but it was the only lead she had since discovering the aquarium was a dead-end. 

She shuddered, thinking about a handful of close calls that had kept her on her toes.

A buzz around their camp indicated they were hot on Abby's heels, but Ellie had suspicions they had been pressured from within to turn back. A fatal run-in with infected had dampened their spirits and left two of them dead. Not everyone who split off to escape came back to regroup.

A three-day barrage of miserable weather had been the nail in the coffin for their expedition to bring Abby to justice. Ellie had watched their hopes deteriorate before they tucked their tails and began the trek back to Seattle. That had been a hard night for her. Equally defeated, she was forced to choose between leading a blind goose-chase or returning to Jackson. Again.

 _And for what?_ This was a persistent thought for her. _For Dina?_

She reaches for her journal and begins to notate her position. No sign of life anywhere. Ellie eyes the countless windows where inevitably, she would hope to see signs of light. 

  
_She probably despises me._

_After everything they had done to get this far._

_All the blood that had been spilled just to get here, with no tangible resolution in sight._

She kept these thoughts to herself, feeling them too miserable to bring to life.

She felt there was nothing left in Jackson for her. Not right now. Ellie had broken a lot of promises already. Returning home wasn't plausible until she kept her word to Maria, or buried Abby. Whichever came first.

She opens the leatherbound journal to the middle, carefully removing the tattered ribbon holding her place. Her fingers press against a photo carefully tucked into the spine.

_Dina._

Ellie's lips twist into a partial smile.

_Bet you're really showing by now. For sure._

She presses the tip of her pen to the paper.

She had spent weeks trying to suppress the notion that they hadn't made it back to Jackson. 

_Jesse better be taking care of you,_ she writes slowly.

Her eyebrows furrow.

_It hurts to say so._

The words scratch heavily into the paper, and she pauses to twirl her pen. She sighs.

_Day 7 in this place. Four days since I heard gunfire. No sign of life today. Another storm is blowing in. Feels like it is going to freeze over soon._

Ellie pauses, lifting her head to take a tentative peek over the sill. She hoped the temperature didn't dip too low tonight.

  
Time passed slowly in moments like these. Three months of traveling alone had begun to take its toll on her spirit. The disconnect between Dina and Jesse felt real; separated now for almost twelve weeks. 

She had said things that she had slowly begun to regret. Even worse, regrets from words she didn't say. 

_Running low on ink. I should probably try to find a replacement._

She jots a final statement in her entry for tonight.

_I hope one day you understand._

She tucks the picture into the journal and moves the ribbon to the following page—time to put this away and be diligent, for now.

**===**

"Tommy's not coming back." 

Jesse had knocked defeatedly at the theater door. When Ellie opened it, his expression spoke volumes on the grimness of the situation. 

  
"I tried to reason with him, but-" Jesse sighs in frustration.

"-he's caught wind that Abby's defected. She's left Seattle."

Ellie bites her lip, a seed of dread growing in her stomach.

"Where did you see him last?" She asks sternly, gripping the straps of her pack.

\---

"Take her home, Jesse," The exhaustion in her voice the following morning was apparent. She had barely slept, rattled by her experience in the hospital. The weight of the pipe in her hands and Nora's face haunted her thoughts, and there was little comfort in Dina's arms. In the wee hours of the morning, she had grown numb to her decision.

"If something happens to Dina or the baby-"

"You won't be able to forgive yourself?" Jesse was understandably angry. He had caught her on the way out, fully prepared to depart without them. The look of surprise on her face had spoiled her intentions. 

Jesse couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Ellie abandoning them to leave on her own.

"No. I couldn't. And she can't go home on her own-" Ellie finds it challenging to look at him in the eyes. 

"You're not thinking straight-"

"No, Jesse, I...I don't know. I do know if I'm going to find Tommy, I have to think like him."

Jesse was speechless.

Ellie knew well enough how clever he was at covering his tracks. 

  
"He's not going stop until he has her head." She forces herself to lower her voice, should she threaten to wake Dina. 

Jesse clenches his fists, and Ellie gestures toward the back of the building.

"...I promised Maria. Dina's too sick to see the end of this. If you really want to help, just take her and go back to Jackson,"

"Ellie-"

"Don't follow me,"

Jesse stares incredulously, shaking his head in disappointment. 

"You're making a mistake." 

Ellie did not respond and instead turned to leave. 

She hoped Dina was able to read the hastily penned letter before Jesse could spill her transgression.  
  
The door's weight felt enormous on the way out.

**===**

Ellie wakes with a start, her eyes fluttering open to a surprisingly vibrant room. Exhausted, she had fallen asleep in the crook of her elbow. 

_Shit._

She hadn't intended to sleep this long. Ellie squints and shields her eyes from the grey skylight. It takes a moment for her to grasp what she sees, struggling to peel reality away from a familiar nightmare.

Her heart skips as a beat as she notices a dark contrast of black smoke against ash-colored clouds. She grabs frantically for the binoculars and shoots upright to her feet. Peering expectantly through the lens, she focuses in on the location of the fire. 

The trail disappears behind the rooftop of a brewery in the distance. Ellie racks her brain for details - recalling the layout of the streets of the city's downtown. 

_Has to be him,_ She thinks as she scrambles to gather her things.

_Couldn't be more than a few miles off. If I keep a steady pace, I could reach the campsite by noon._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

  
"Abby!" 

Lev's voice echoes through the department store, and Abby's head whips to greet him. He waves her over to where he's kneeling across the street.

She grunts and rises to her feet, having just rummaged through the pockets of a long-dead drifter. Poor guy didn't have much to his name - at least not when he died. She dusted off her hands before moving to join Lev, kneeling next to another corpse lodged in the threshold of a general store. Still somewhat fresh. 

"Do you know him?" Lev asks curiously, reaching for a pouch attached at its side. Abby furrows her brows as she takes a look, allowing her counterpart to rummage through the rucksack. 

"No," She shakes her head. "Doesn't look familiar. Has to be one of the assholes that was following us," Abby inspects the unfamiliar man's face, then his jacket. 

"There were a lot of us,"

No patches of any kind - must be new. She reaches for his neck, carefully pulling a bloodied chain from the dead man's collar. Aha.

"W.T.," She says, reading the two letters stamped into the tag. "Weird. Just initials," Abby drops the tags, which clink pitifully against his chest. 

"Wonder what they stood for."

"Hey -" Abby cracks a faint smile and reaches down to pluck something from between the corpse's fingers. Lev eyes her incredulously.

"- missed something," She hums fondly and presents it to her counterpart to have a look. 

It's a pistol - in surprisingly good condition. Abby allows her fingers to run across the barrel before engaging the safety. Only two bullets left, she thinks, before slipping the gun into her side-holster. The former wolf notices the pout forming at the corner of Lev's mouth, and she stifles a chuckle.

"This one's nice, but it's got some kick to it. The gun I gave you suits you," Abby crosses her arms and Lev suppresses the urge to argue. 

"Yeah..." He sighs, carefully stepping over a crumbled bookcase used at one point to barricade the entrance. Abby follows suit behind him. He had seemed morose since this morning, not that she could blame him. She had struggled to keep them occupied and maintaining momentum; for the betterment of them both. The lingering effects of Yara's death were most noticeable when there wasn't an immediate goal under their nose.

Having direction kept her from dwelling too much on the recent. 

She often thought of Yara. And Owen...and Mel. Their last interaction together had left a bitter taste in her mouth. As much as their abandonment had stung, she still hoped they had made it to Santa Barbara in one piece. She had meant her word when she promised she would head in the opposite direction, at least for the time being. 

  
Abby wondered how Alice was faring at sea. 

  
Similar thoughts intruded often, and she found it necessary to find something distract herself. Right now, her focus was keeping Lev safe and getting the two of them to the lodge.

"Been a while since we've practiced," She adds as they move into the street. Abby leads the two of them along, her eyes looking expectantly for the inn's sign in the distance. It "Maybe we can set up some targets once we get out of town," 

Lev nods and shrugs his shoulders. 

"That would be nice," He hums, fiddling with the straps of his pack. 

Abby stifles a sigh. _I'll cheer you up eventually. Somehow._

The walk to their camp was brief, and soon enough, Abby could see the familiar flaking, sky blue exterior of the 'Silver Cloud'. It had been a long day of scouring for supplies, and the idea of resting her legs was more than appealing. 

Abby grunts as she struggles to peel back a rusted tin section used to bar the window. A bit of elbow grease was enough to peel it back and allow Lev to slip through the opening. Abby follows shortly after, careful not to let the metal make too much noise behind them.

Lev breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes his shoulders. The inn smelled like the underside of a pier, Abby thought as she wrinkled her nose. But it was safe, and that's all that mattered. Whoever the owners were before the outbreak had taken care to seal the place shut before closing the doors. The roof sagged slightly from years of neglected, unattended leaks on the south end, but it had managed to stay dry enough to use as shelter. 

Lev carefully settles onto the floor after removing his pack. Abby watches as he begins to pull a few items from the day's scavenger hunt, carefully inspecting their spoils. 

Abby turns to rifle through her backpack. They had enough food for now, but they still needed a few more things before she could comfortably have them venture out of town. It might be some time before they could scavenge a town for necessities.

  
Preparing for a trip of this magnitude had taken longer than anticipated; with limited supplies, Abby had resorted to exhausting every potential resource they could explore along their way. They had spent themselves looting the husks of department stores, pharmacies, residences, and a sole general store for any useful materials they could find. 

She pulls a small tin from her pack, a makeshift first aid kit. Abby had been more conscientious of the need lately after the trauma of dealing with Yara's injury. The former wolf purses her lips as she carefully opens it, examining its meager contents.

A handle of sewing needles in a yellowed, plastic package. A small bottle of alcohol and a sterile razor. A pitiful wad of unused gauze. 

She blinks, recalling have found that Mel and Owen had not only left them behind; they had also taken the precious medical kit she had almost gotten herself killed to get her hands on. The feeling of dread in her stomach when she and Lev returned to see a missing boat was hard to forget. 

Blinking away the thought, she puts a spool of thread inside the tin and bitterly snaps the container shut. 

"Hey," Lev murmurs, holding an object up for inspection in the dim light. "Look at this,"

Abby peers up from her thoughts to see her counterpart clasping what appeared to be a coin between his thumb and pointer finger.

"Found it in a matchbox," He flips it over to inspect the back, lips pursed in disappointment. 

"We needed the matches."

Abby extends her arm and gestures for Lev to hand it over.

"Let me see," She purrs quietly as she plucks it from his palm. The blond squints, her eyebrows raising. 

"This is a wheat penny," She hums and offers it back. "You should keep it. They're good luck."

"Huh. A wheat penny," Lev repeats curiously, rolling the coin between his fingers.

"You believe in luck?" Lev eyes her incredulously as he flops onto a nearby couch, adopted as a bed. He tucks the coin into the pocket of his pants for safekeeping.

Abby smiles and raises a brow.

  
"Sure. When _I'm lucky_ ," Abby slides into an armchair with a quiet huff and begins to rub the tension in the back of her neck. She rests her head against the cushioned back, her eyelids growing heavy. 

  
"We should get some sleep. Got a long day ahead of us," Abby sinks further into the worn leather, throwing her legs across the chair's arm. She works a hand into her back pocket to remove a map, heavily creased and often referenced. She carefully unfolds it, her eyes drawn to a penciled circle at the outer edge. 

"Nearly there," She mutters under her breath, tapping their location. Carefully, she traces her finger along the highlighted route to their destination. Getting there wasn't as easy as the mapped route suggested. Abby had taken the time to mark their actual path, which proved to be a much more jagged and cumbersome hike than anticipated.

"This is our last night here, right?" He asks quietly.

"Swear," She sighs, rolling onto her side. "Last night. We head out first thing in the morning."

Lev sighs in relief and closes his eyes.

They had hunkered down in this place for longer than she cared to admit. 

Having the WLF on their heels in the early weeks had fatigued them. The two had spent time resting and biding their time here until she felt they were ready to leave. 

  
Shaking them off of their heels had been a victory for them. Now, they just had to keep moving.

"You think the lodge is still empty?" He whispers. Abby closes the map as dusk dies outside, along with her light source. She furrows her brow.

"I hope so, Lev." 

Abby didn't really know what propelled her to take them there. Intuition? A sense of nostalgia? A little bit of both.

She had only been there once with her father when she was about Lev's age. Back when the Fireflies were naively hopeful.

But it was the most extraordinary few months of her life before the Fireflies found it in their best interest to abandon the property. She knew that the lodge was exploited as a conduit for them in the faction's early years. They were moving on a shred of hope that it was still there.

The place had good bones...at least that's what her father would say. She wasn't an engineer by any means, but she was hoping she and Lev could patch any disrepair that might have overcome it…

It was the only place that came to mind when she thought of rebuilding her life. 

**===**

'Fuck,' Abby stutters as she stumbles forward onto her knees. The wolf's boot catches on the wheels of an overturned utility cart. She's shivering, soaked. Foul greywater reaches to her elbows, and she can't see her hands through the filth of it all. In a panic, he pushes herself to her feet and propels herself forward. 

A dismal realization overcomes her; she's back in St. Mary's. 

No, no, no...even worse. Abby's head whips desperately to find some sort of evidence of her whereabouts. She stifles a cry of terror when she sees the flickering emergency room sign swinging woefully in her peripheral. The whirling growl of a generator sings somewhere in the distance.

The air smells familiarly sour, and she's painfully aware that her hands are empty. Her pack is gone and stripped of all her weapons, Abby is vulnerable and naked to her environment. A quickly approaching gurgling scream encumbers her senses, and her instincts only tell her to move forward. Trembling fingers reach frantically at her hip for a pistol that's no longer there. 

Dread transmutes to sickness as she turns a corner to be met with a dead-end.

The sound of flesh and bone scraping against the walls sends a shiver of horror down her spine. Abby's body reluctantly swivels to face the monster lunging aggressively toward her. 

She tries to scream, but the sound dies in her throat. She can see every face in the tangled amalgamation of the Rat King. It's twisted core rolls closer, and it dawns on her that the mountain of fungus and flesh isn't a conglomerate of unknown stalkers, but of people she knows—her friends.

The twisted gaze of Mel and Owen cause her to cry out for help. Manny's slack jaw and aimless stare are positioned next to the familiar faces of dead Scars. Yara and Lev. The shoulders supporting them all attaches onto a central face - a memory of a man she had compartmentalized and locked away for some time. 

Joel Miller. He stares at her, and Abby snaps her jaw closed. Her body trembles, and she forces her eyes shut as the snarling of the beast swallows her whole. A young woman's scream echoes in her thoughts as her eyes snap awake before the creature's maw reaches her.

Her mind wanders to the ski resort- the grisly sound of metal against skull-bone and the young girl's piercing cry on the floor, begging her to stop.

  
'Please, don't do this-!'

The creature stumbles aside, and finally, Abby can see a young woman's figure kneeling in the flood-waters.

_'Abby, please don't do this-!'_

\---

  
Abby startles awake, her forehead coated with a thin sheen of sweat. She takes a deep breath as she snaps up to rest on her elbows, finding the air thick and hard to breathe. The shrill screech of her name was disturbing.

It's cold in the riverside inn, but she's burning hot - her shirt dampened from wrestling a nightmare in the morning's wee hours. Abby takes a few moments to regain her senses, relieved to see it was still early. Tiredly fixated on the pinholes of grey light streaming from the ceiling, Abby Anderson forces herself to sit. It's unbearably quiet.

  
 _Thank God,_ she thinks, allowing her head to rest between her knees. She was surprisingly happy to be here, in this dank place. Nausea slowly begins to ebb away.

  
It had been a while. Abby tries to remember the last time she dreamed about the hospital. Her fingers massage at a knot of muscle in her neck.

  
_That's not what happened...with the girl, back in Jackson. She didn't know my name._

The incarnation of Joel and the girl's cry for mercy had truly grated her. More than that vile creature. 

_Funny,_ she thought. She had tucked that memory to bed some time ago, having washed it away with a new sense of purpose. She shakes her head, instead choosing to turn toward Lev's sleeping form.

Except he's not there. Instead, Abby's met by with the sight of an empty couch.

  
 _Her name is Ellie,_ she recalls suddenly. _Joel Miller's little counterpart. The girl with the cure._

She rubs at her eyes. 

_No time to dwell on it now,_ she thinks, slowly moving to her feet. The muscles in her jaw ache with tension, and she slowly stretches her mouth open. Ouch. Fuck, that hurts. 

It had been a long time since her mind had wandered to linger on the man who killed her father. Those feelings of hatred and resentment had been excised and buried. It seemed guilt had trickled into the empty space. It was growing harder to ignore, especially in moments where she found herself alone.

She had done far worse things to people that weighed on her less. _But why_? 

_He deserved it._

Abby pinches the bridge of her nose between her fingers, reaching to grab her jacket and boots.

She opts to rise on her feet and itemize her things to prepare for the journey that lies ahead. Dawn was fading, and she wanted to hit the pavement before the day got away from them.

  
"Lev?" She asks hoarsely, moving slowly to the back door. She notices it's unlocked, and the rotting shade was open.

She opens it and steps onto the dock. Lev is sitting on the edge and turns to look at her. He seems serene this morning.

"Morning," He says quietly as Abby comes to sit next to him, relieved. She yawns, and he tucks his knee to have a place to rest his chin. 

His eyes focus on a thick line running from his palm into the dark water. 

The two didn't say anything for a few minutes. The breeze blowing in the water felt nice, and Abby allowed it to rejuvenate her spirit. 

"I thought maybe we could have breakfast before we go," Lev begins to wrap the line leading down to the hook, removing the slack. The shadow of a fish flickers into view, prompting Abby to notice a nearby bucket, teeming with several others. 

"Good idea." 

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

  
_Weird._

_A dead wolf._

Ellie takes a careful glance around before squatting to investigate the corpse.

 _So you're the one they left behind,_ Ellie thinks, rifling through the dead man's pockets. The body was still...somewhat fresh. 

  
Gross. Ellie grimaces as she picks up the coat in his hands. Still dry, without much blood on it. She would soon need it, as a simple overshirt wasn't going to cut surviving a harsh winter. The temperature was already starting to drop now as autumn was kicking into full swing again.

She runs her fingers across the WLF emblem stitched onto the bicep. The article was still in pretty good shape. 

She offers an empathetic glance as she shrugs the jacket across her shoulders. The brunette found it a bit ironic to be brandishing WLF, not that she had much choice. She felt it a shame she couldn't find a proper replacement.

Ellie pauses as she realizes his gun is missing from his holster. Her gaze narrows and her breathing slows as she weighs the possibilities.

Her attention is drawn to a wound at his chest. 

_Clean shot, large bullet. So this was the last rifle blast I heard._

Instinctually, she peers over her shoulder at the many possible vantage points. She traces each one, trying to figure where the shooter was standing.

  
 _Tommy. Had to have been him_.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but it was the only clue she had to go on. Excitement swells in her chest - instinct was telling her she was moving in the right direction. 

She exits the shop, leaving the door open the way that she had found it. It closes slowly against the body in the threshold.

_I'm convincing you to come back, even if it kills me._

She picks up the pace, slipping into the liminal spaces of the broken city's alleyways.

_And what if it's not him?_

Ellie struggles to catch her breath as she finds herself in a full-blown sprint.

A part of her screams in anticipation; _what if it's Abby?_

Her heart pounds, beating painfully against her ribcage. 

She wished she could stop hoping that it was. There was a sliver of her that simply refused to let it go.

Her body slams loudly against a chain-link fence, and her fingers curl viciously through the openings. She presses her forehead against the metal links.

The smoke is feigning in color, but it was closer. 

  
She pulls herself up, scrambling to the slide over the top.

Ellie pauses to wipe the sweat from her eyes.

_Wonder what Dina would think - seeing me like this._

_Doesn't matter._

_Ten minutes at a time._

The bottom of her soles slam against the concrete, and she's off again. 

_Just follow the smoke._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"C'mon Lev," Abby peers nervously over her shoulder.

"We're more exposed than I would like to be,"

Lev stares in wonder over the bridge's side, leaning against the concrete with his elbows. There was something about rushing water that was captivating, especially with a view like this. 

The river below had become swollen from heavy rainfall, peppered with old cars and carcasses of boats. The bridge itself had long since collapsed in the center. Instead, it served as a downward ramp into the rushing water. A conglomerate of cars and pontoon boats from neighboring docks had formed a footbridge to the other side. 

  
Lev moves to crouch beside Abby next to a shelled tanker. She raises a brow as she stares at the trail of cars before them. A look upriver only showed miles of running water, with no evidence of another way across.

Abby huffs in thought. 

"That's...a long detour," Lev murmurs as he studies the pebbled bank. They had been walking non-stop since breakfast. The sun had settled in the west, threatening to retreat behind the mountains in the distance.

The bridge had collapsed as to leave a path of broken automobile rooftops to tread across. Rain from the night prior had risen the water level yet again, evident by the muddy current below.

"Yeah...shit," Abby rubs at her chin and slides to sit. She allows her pack to slip from her shoulders onto the fractured asphalt and turns to Lev. 

"It's not safe. We have to wait,"

Lev feels her frustration, sighing in disappointment. He turns his attention downriver, thinking hard for any semblance of an idea. 

"Abby," He murmurs after a few moments. Abby turns to him while unscrewing her canteen, before nearly draining half of it.

"Look, there." He squints, pointing indistinctly to the favoring riverbank. Abby squints, trying to spot what Lev is referencing. It soon becomes evident as she makes out a dull, orange blinking light at the edge of the water. The dimming sun favors the detail, and she strains her eyes to get a better look.

  
"Attached to the line, across the water," Lev whispers. "That box. Can it take us across?"

Abby realizes he's talking about a nearby metal cab, half-way hidden in the undergrowth. She had assumed it to be a power-line, and her pulse quickens as she realizes it's a fashioned, rugged lift. Clever.

"Someone's been here recently," Abby looks hard at the forest across the river. The line angles high above them to meet the slope on the other side, disappearing somewhere in the trees. 

"See the generator?"

Lev blinks, nodding. Abby can almost see the wheels turning, and her gut starts to sink.

"Maybe it works-"

"Absolutely not," Abby says immediately, shaking her head. She almost feels sick thinking about it. 

"And who is to say it's safe- ?"

"You said yourself, someone's using it," Lev interrupts her, nearly pleading in earnest. Thunder rolls somewhere beyond the mountains, and seeing the expression on Abby's face, Lev looks away in disappointment.

"It might take days for the river to drop," He leans tiredly against the car and crosses his arm. Abby stays quiet for a moment, and she can see he's despondent.

He was right about that. Abby sighs, peering thoughtfully at him as Lev peers into the water below.

"If it's not lowered by morning, we'll check it out. Deal?" She sighs, her hands resting on her hips.

Lev hesitantly nods, and a gentle smile tugs at his lips.

"Okay."

"I know what you're thinking. All the good things about fear. Yada-yada."

"Yada-yada?"

"Don't worry about it-," Abby tosses Lev his pack.

"... I'm sorry, Abby."

Abby walks a few paces and sharply pulls at the old tailgate of an old pick-up. It squeals as she lowers it to use as a seat. 

She tries not to think about the cable-car.

"Don't be. Let's get some rest. It's getting dark."

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

  
Ellie slips to the ground, her chest heaving to catch her breath. 

A runner gurgles piteously on the ground beside her. She watches as it grows still in the grass before her fingers relax on the handle of her bloodied machete. 

Shaky fingers turn off her flashlight, allowing the soft-orange glow of the generator to light the riverbank.

Her mind hums numbly with fatigue, and she forces herself to take a few minutes to rest. Ellie had been pushing tirelessly today, desperate to make up for the lost time she took investigating the campsite. 

Whether it was Tommy - or someone else - they hadn't left much for her to recover. She had discovered only the charred remains of a perceived cooking fire, which had been neatly scratched away save for a handful of burning coals. A pile of stripped fish-bones did little to identify who had started it. 

No scraps, no belongings left behind. The only notable clue had been the imprint of a boot-heel entrenched in a sodden patch of grass up the street. Fresh.

Whoever it was had intentions to head east, towards Libby, denoted by the signs.

She stares blankly at the generator. Hugged by tall grass underneath a shelter, she almost hadn't seen it...and probably wouldn't have in daylight. A gas canister lay on its side amid a patch of trampled grass. Whoever had left it was kind enough to screw the cap closed.

Someone was here, and not long ago. Ellie stares at the cable high above her, and the gondola, which hung only a few meters away. It gives a groan as it swings, agitated by a gust of wind. 

Ellie squints with exertion as she lifts herself onto her feet. She had wandered to the river's edge, having spotted a potential foot trail near the road. The bridge in the distance offered little promise she could use it as a means across the river. It seemed to have collapsed and crumbled into the water below.

In an effort to find some semblance of a boat, she was met with this.

Ellie spots several other infected littered in the surrounding area as she carefully takes a look around. All shot, save for the one. 

_Tommy...if it was you, you left in a hurry. The noise must have drawn them out of the undergrowth._

_I can't afford to stay here tonight._

Ellie staggers to pick up the canister and carefully moves to fuel the generator with what remained. 

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever done, she thinks, glancing at the dilapidated bridge downriver.

She takes a few tentative steps toward the rusted cab on the platform to inspect the interior. 

_Seems to be in okay shape._

Ellie presses her boot into the floor to test its integrity. It was exceptionally dark inside, but Ellie had faith that it could hold her across. Somebody had trusted it enough, at least.

A muffled clap of thunder startles her, and she shakes her head in disbelief at what she was about to do.

The shriek of a clicker echoes in the distance. Rainy weather seemed to disturb them as well – drawing them out from the darkness into the rain. 

_There's not enough time to find another way across_.

Ellie grips the handle of the generator's starter cord and gives it a few sharp tugs. It growls in response, the mechanical roar spurring her adrenaline to spike. The platform beneath her vibrates, and Ellie holds her breath as the lift squeaks to life. The gondola lurches forward with a jolt, and she's suddenly made aware that the motor is not going to wait for her to board.

Ellie pulls herself up into the gondola before it can escape the platform. She stumbles inside, careful not to spill backward out of the open door. A nervous laugh escapes her as the cab sways, pulling her skyward along the cable. She allows herself to sit, her back pressed against the cold aluminum. Her eyes squint as the car's body scrapes along the weathered line, and she takes a few deep breaths while the swinging slows to a gentle sway. Ellie thinks of all the ways she would suffer if the cab detached, finding herself smiling in fear and disbelief.

_I may have actually lost it, Jesse._

Her gaze is drawn out the window where the cable ran to an identical platform, presumably among the trees on the other side of the river. 

_Just a few more minutes… then I'm never doing anything like this again. Ever… ever again._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

  
Abby awakes to the sound of a screech.  
  
Before she can even comprehend what's happening, she's upright in the truck's bed. She jerks her head to see Lev already on his feet, staring across the water. 

The two offer a confused glance to one another. Lev's mouth hangs open, but before he can say anything, Abby sees the cable-car floating above the river along its suspended course. A mechanical whir slices in the air, the unmistakable groan of a gas generator.

A clicker cries out again in the distance.

"Someone's in there -"Lev whispers and kneels behind the truck out of eyesight. Abby purses her lips in worry as she zips her coat closed.   
  
"Lev, c'mon," She whispers hurriedly, her gaze following the gondola's movement.

_Who the hell is in there?_

"We have to move."


	2. pitfalls (part 2)

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie wrings her hands together nervously as the gondola sways along it's charted course. A questionable squeal from the cable above her incites her muscles to tense.

_That cannot be good._

She dares to glimpse through the car’s singular window, thickly clouded with age. It's too dark to make out much of anything below, except for the river's rippling movement in weak moonlight.

Her attention shifts behind her. An empty cable-car screeches toward her in the darkness, and Ellie’s breath hitches as it groans in passing alongside her.

Ellie watches as the vacant cab slowly swings away, cranking along a parallel cable to return to the generator.

_Kind of wish we had these in Jackson. Would've made patrol so much easier._

Ellie makes a conscious effort to stand and braces herself. Treetops grow closer as she passes over the waterway, threatening to brush the bottom of the gondola. She flexes the muscles in her legs in rehearsal for the leap. Her fingers work themselves around the doorframe, and her attention turns skyward. Lightning illuminates the forest with a clap of thunder.

_It's going to downpour soon._

_Only one chance to get this right._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Abby takes a moment to examine the platform and empty gas canisters. Lev rustles alongside her in the tall grass. It hadn’t been an easy venture down to the bank, made even more frustrating by overgrowth and exposed roots.

Not being able to hear over the growl of the generator was making Abby nervous. She raises her crossbow towards a dark silhouette stomping along the pebbled bank. It's frame jerks sporadically, and she instinctively lowers herself to crouch. Lev follows suit behind her, a hand reaching to nock an arrow. She holds her breath and permits the clicker to wander into her sights. She fires her weapon, and the figure falls limp, clawing weakly at the small stones caking the dirt. Lev watches as Abby saunters over to finish the job, launching another arrow through the nape of its neck. He relaxes as the monster stills, and she smirks.

The pair step cautiously to the generator. Her eyes scan the platform and the growling machine, but Lev's attention is drawn explicitly to the gondola swaying toward them in the darkness.

The screech of the moving cable causes Abby to groan in annoyance.

"This is _insane_ ," She mutters, noting her counterpart's fascination. "- to think that someone would actually use this."

"Who do you think it was?"

"Who knows," Abby rubs at her chin in thought. "Not sure I want to wait around to find out."

Lev opens his mouth to speak, but a loud metallic squeal interrupts him. Abby's turns to face the bridge in the distance. The noise pierces louder, and she watches as the jumble of decaying traffic and boats begins to bend and splinter apart. The floodwaters had undermined a supporting segment of the faux footpath, sweeping away the vehicles with the current.

Abby watches dismally as their way across to the highway is washed away.

"Shit," She hisses in annoyances, spinning to look behind them. The sound draws another clicker from the underbrush, and it screams along the waterfront toward them. Abby raises her crossbow to fire, motioning for Lev to move behind her.

"Abby - !" Lev reaches to grab her arm, watching as another gondola approaches down the cable. He eyes the open door.

The infected drops like the one before it, but it’s not long before several more take its place to storm the bank. Abby curses under her breath, and she takes a step back, before feeling a hand gripping her collar.

She whips to see Lev already inside the cab and hears him cry out to join him.

"Abby, come on- !"

She grabs his offered hand and clumsily leaps into the open door to join him.

" _Hey_ \- !" She growls, angry and terrified at being inside the lunging cable-car. Abby grows dizzy, finding herself on her hands and knees inside.

"I cannot... believe you," She raises her head to glare at him, and he freezes, holding up his hands. The car sways, Abby clumsily moves to press her back against a wall.

"Oh my God. Oh, my _God_ -" Abby squeezes her eyes closed, turning her head away from the view outside.

"It's okay," He murmurs, gripping the edge of the doorway and peering outside at the infected they left behind. "We made it. That was close."

"How about a consultation next time," Her voice tremors as she catches her breath.

"It's not so bad," Lev tries to smile as they're carried across the river, suspended high about the center. The expression fades, a sharp squeal above the cab ringing in their ears.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie grunts as her feet hit the platform. She finds herself on her hands and knees, taking a few moments to relish the achievement. A trembling hand switches on her flashlight to scan the surrounding area. She offers a lasting glance over her shoulder to watch the gondola disappear into the trees to return to the other side of the river.

_I'll have to find another way back across. That was too much._

She slowly rights herself, careful not to slip on the slick carpet of leaves. Ellie tugs her hood over her head as the weather worsens, ducking beneath a nearby lean-to. A gentle rain-shower had soured, now drumming heavily on the rusty tin roof. Chilled hands reach to zip her coat to her throat before diving to warm themselves in her pockets.

Ellie shivers and peeks at the weather-torn sign beneath the shelter. A simple booth looms underneath, and a patchwork of water-damaged flyers litters the floor. She takes a few hesitant steps, ensuring she is alone.

One flyer piques her interest, tinted a bright shade of red. She reaches to study it and coaxes it free from the rest. A howling coyote's profile is plastered across it, howling for attention.

_Adventure Camp Clearwater?_ Ellie wrinkles her nose, decrypting the faded text inside. _Kind of a mouthful, but it sounds like fun._

She ponders what it would be like to be a part of something like that, allowing the flyer to drift back to the ground. The grind of machinery was bound to draw attention to any possible infected roaming in the area, and finding a safe spot to rest was also a foremost priority.

She stares blankly into the forest, discouraged by a thick curtain of torrential rain. Her legs trembled from exertion, and it was growing hard to focus on the task at hand. Lightning cracks the veil of clouds bearing down on the mountain, offering a brief glimpse into the woods. Strained eyes barely grasp the sight of a marked trail overlain with litterfall, buried in the trees.

**\----**

Ellie trots up the steps of the cabin, slowing to a halt on the porch.

A skeletal corpse offers her a slack-jawed welcome from the comfort of a weathered rocking chair. It was missing its legs and an arm, save for an arm drooping down to reach the floor. She pauses to look it over before listlessly inspecting the front door. She grips the rusted doorknob and twists it open but is met resistance. Locked. A muddied boot kicks away at a pile of leaves drifted against the threshold. Ellie offers it a pathetic shove but finds it securely barred; from the inside, of course.

Her flashlight brightens the single-room-cabin through an un-boarded, filthy windowpane. _All clear._

She stumbles away from the door and moves to sit on a nearby bench in defeat. She sighs.

_This is going to have to do._

Sleeping indoors was ideal, but the covered porch offered just enough reprieve from the weather. Ellie slips her pack free from her shoulders and tosses it clumsily onto the weathered seat. Her eyes flutter with exhaustion, and her focus shifts to the cadaver accompanying her across the porch. His remaining arm outstretches down beside him, and his fingers point to a rusted revolver that was well beyond recovery. A soiled hat caked in dirt lay beside the chair.

_Looks like you went out on your own terms. Good for you._

She rolls to lie down, shifting to get comfortable on the solid wood slats. She slips her arms inside the dead Wolf's coat to retain her last iota of body heat. Ellie forces herself to close her eyes, and within moments, she was fast asleep.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Abby tried desperately to reach Lev before he spilled out of the opening. Before she could even outstretch her hand, he was already out of sight. Helpless, she could only grasp the expression of surprise on his face when the car detached. The metallic whine of the snapping cable had muffled her cry for him.

The gondola crashed into the water, hurling her into the cab's side. The collision rattled her momentarily unconscious, leaving a searing pain above her ear.

Abby’s eyes flutter open to water, running across her face as the river sprays into the doorframe. Her eyes dart around, realizing the entry is now suspended above her. The wall of the cabin is cold beneath her back. She coughs, sputtering out the water that had found its way into her nose and throat.

"No, no, _no_ \- !"

She grimaces in pain, pushing herself to sit. Gasping, the wound on her scalp gushes into her eyes, further impairing her vision. A lesion at her hairline is slick beneath her fingertips.

Abby can't bother to gauge the wound's severity while water rushes inside, quickly rising to touch her knees. It was shockingly cold.

Abby struggles to stand and slowly reaches to hoist herself out of the doorway. Wet metal almost makes the task impossible. She cries out in frustration as she uses what feels like all of her energy to pull herself free. Dizzy, Abby looks around, trying to pinpoint her position in the river.

She was fortunate the current had pinned the gondola against a cluster of river rocks, the only thing keeping it from fully submerging.

"Lev!" She screams as hard as her lungs will allow her, looking desperately out into the surging current. It's pitch black, and the storm made it nearly impossible to see more than a few meters ahead. Rain stings the skin, and panic quickly starts to settle in the darkness when she's met with silence.

" _Lev_!" She cups her hands about her mouth to try and elevate her voice above the storm.

"Hold on!" She cries, struggling to stand on the side of the gondola. She tries to turn on her flashlight but finds it's broken and uncooperative. A soft sob escapes her as she tries again, the horror and reality of their situation weighing heavily. "Just hold on!" She screams into the storm, desperately hoping he could hear her, wherever he was. She carefully lowers herself onto the slick rocks.

"I'm coming!"

Her boot slips on the smooth stone, but she manages to catch herself before spilling entirely into the current. Still stunned from the fall, but her adrenaline pushes her to keep going. She's close to the other side.

We were so close. Abby clenches her teeth and manages to capture a breath before she's pulled beneath the turbulent water.

_It's a short swim._

Abby kicks off from the bottom, gasping her air as her head reappears above the surface.

_I can do this…I can do this!_

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Leaves shuffle gently on the rotting porch. Sleep had come quickly, and the drumming on the roof above had kept Ellie's mind quiet for most of the night. She rests now on her back, arms folded across her belly.

She stirs slowly, rolling in a vain attempt to find comfort on the bench's wooden slats. Her eyebrows furrow, and she stirs awake, disturbed by a gnawing sensation at her boot. She blinks, disturbed by the unfamiliar sound of sniffing.

Her attention drifts to the body across the porch, down to the rust-colored snout inspecting her shoe.

" _Whoa_ -!" She sits up sharply, kicking her leg to shoo the creature away. She fumbles to reach for her knife, but the animal has already scattered down the steps. It bolts across the path and into the underbrush but slows to turn and gives Ellie a somber stare over its shoulder.

Ellie breathes a sigh of relief and allows herself to lean back, bumping her head against the boarded window.

_Just a mutt._

The dog stares for a while, and Ellie returns the favor, looking the poor creature over.

_Some kind of hound. Joel would've called it a Sooner, whatever that really means._

She notes the sharp outline of his hips and spine and feels a pang of empathy. It didn't seem particularly vicious- most likely just starving and desperate; enough to approach her. She lets it be for now and reaches to pick up her backpack.

_Unusual to see a wild dog alone,_ she reminds herself. _Need to be careful._

The forest is eerily quiet this time of the morning, especially after a night of pounding rain. A knuckle wipes sleepily at her eyes as she slips her arms through the straps of her pack.

A growl rips through her stomach. She skips the steps to jump on the ground, studying the faint path through the trees.

_It would only make sense for someone to follow it._

It's only now, in daylight, Ellie spots the sharp outline of a handful of other shed-like structures peppered in the vicinity. Two had crumbled entirely, swallowed by surrounding trees. Another was barely standing; it's collapsed roof twisting its frame. A poorly painted sun was peeling on the front door. Ellie tried to imagine how vibrant this place would've been 25 years ago.

She looks behind her, thinking of her sprinting stretch through the storm the night before.

Ellie begins to walk, watching as the dog sits to watch her in the distance. It whines feebly.

"Sorry, bud," She whispers quietly. "I don't have anything for you."

Her rations were running lower than she'd like. There wasn't much left to sustain her for more than a couple days. The most substantial allocation she had was a small rice ration she had pillaged in the previous town. She cringes thinking about it. It had been almost a full day since she had taken the time to eat.

She had put off hunting for a long time to keep her nose to the pavement.

_I made a lot of headway last night._

Ellie ponders as she walks along the trail, which was quickly starting to steepen. She carefully makes her way up a series of natural steps made of roots and eroded rocks. She swallows a dry knot in her throat and pauses at the top to sip from her canteen. It's unfortunately light in her hands - nearly empty.

The thick trees break at the top of the sharp incline, breaking to give way to a magnificent view of the river below. The path ran parallel to it, allowing her to track her direction passively.

The scenery brought a wry smile to her face. The sun was beginning to break free of the overcast sky, and the vibrant autumn hues reminded her of better days in Jackson. The trek made it easy to reminiscence on her times hunting with Joel and Tommy. She recalls specifically the day Tommy let her fool around with his new rifle scope, picking off infected. It had gratifying culling them at a distance.

Feeling satisfied putting some distance behind her, Ellie could focus on breakfast and sating her thirst. Her appetite grows as she makes her way down the steep bank, careful not to slide on the mat of slick leaves caking the incline. Filling her canteen was an immediate concern. She wondered if she might be able to catch something to eat if she could find anything worth cooking.

She slides down a muddy stretch of riverside onto the rocky embankment. Pebbles crunch satisfyingly under her feet on the riverside. The river was murky from the storm, but it would have to do.

_Probably need to boil it before I can drink it. Bummer._

Ellie crouches to lean and dip her hands into the cold current. She mindfully rinses her face and hands, wishing it was warm enough to go for a swim. The motion of her hands freezes when she spots a wriggling movement further along the waterfront. She blinks to affirm that she's not hallucinating. It appeared something was crawling, struggling to worm away from the water.

_Infected._ Ellie reaches for her hunting rifle and eyes it inside her iron sights. She settles on her knee to study it for a moment, and her stomach drops when she realizes she was mistaken.

_That's a person_.

She lowers her weapon, growing sick at the distinguishably small, still frame.

"Shit-" Ellie shoots up to trot over, motivated by an eerily familiar compulsion to help.

_That's a kid. That's a fucking kid._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Lev coughs, spitting up the last of the water that had forced its way into his nose. Exhausted, he rolls onto his side, just glad to be free of the water.

Numb fingers reach to grasp a fistful of small stones in front of him. The river had dragged him mercilessly beneath the current, battering his elbows and shins against the debris under the surface.

_Abby... this is all my fault._

His face twists in agony, and the events of the night before loops mercilessly in his mind.

_Please be okay. Please be okay._

He tries to push himself upright, and his arms tremble with the effort.

The river had carried him a distance from their campsite, but it was hard to assess how far he had been displaced. Everything looked so different during the day, and the river’s twisting body had stripped away the view of the bridge. He struggles to focus, eyeing the treeline.

Lev can’t feel the pain in his legs, only the pressure of sharp stones digging into his flesh. 

_I have to find her._

Lev feels incredibly heavy as he tries to lift himself to his feet. He had found himself clinging to a trunk in the river the night before, forced to make the swim to shore through the storm-current.

_I would've frozen to death, not that this is much better._

Weakness forces him to lie back on the rocks, needing some time to rest.

_You're all I have left. Please be okay._

He blinks the tears from his eyes, thoughts interrupted by the sound of fast-approaching footsteps.

_Abby?_

Lev slowly turns his head, hoping to see her at his side. Instead, he's met with the blurry, incredulous expression of a stranger's face. It's a young woman, a rifle lowered at her side.

_No!_

He panics, recognizing the familiar WLF album plastered on the front of her coat. He quickly musters the last of his strength and flips to reach for his knife. Fingers reach to pluck the blade from a holster, now missing. _Oh no, no -_

"You okay?"

_What?_

Ellie takes a few nervous steps before kneeling to touch his shoulder. 

" _Shit_ \- how long have you been out here?" There's an underlying sense of urgency and quality of concern that seems all too familiar to him.

Lev tries to get a better look at her. He sees that her eyes are studying his face, the thin scars around his mouth. His psyche runs wild with ideations of escape.

She's one of the wolves looking for Abby.

"Get away from me," He breathes, recoiling away from her.

Ellie pauses to drop her weapon and flashes her empty hands. _What the hell was a Scar doing here?_ She suddenly remembers what she's wearing.

"Relax," Ellie leans down next to him, diminishing her stature a bit. Poor kid looked terrified.

"The jacket's not mine," She tries to assure him as best as her surprise will allow her.

"Just borrowed it from a dead guy."

"Tch-!" Lev opens his mouth to speak but doesn't know what to say. He whips his head and stares into the river.

Ellie takes a brief glance along the opposite side of the river to ensure no one is watching.

"Are you out here alone...?"

Tears begin to sting his eyes.

"My sister-" Lev starts, shaking his head. _Why did I say that?_

"We ... tried to cross - she's still out there," The words come out in a choked whisper.

The lie tastes bitter on his tongue, but he can't afford to put them further at risk. He distinctly recalls the sternness in Abby's voice when she advised their need for discretion.

_Fuck. This is not good_ , Ellie thinks. She looks between the boy and the bank she used to descend from the path. The reality of her situation made this kid a liability. A few hours could make or break her search for Tommy if she wasn't careful. She purses her lips.

_What the hell are you doing this far east?_

_I really shouldn't be inserting myself. Still..._

_He might be a Seraphite, but he's just a kid._

A pang of guilt grows in the pit of her stomach as she watches the boy struggle to stand, tears streaming down his colorless cheeks. He's uncomfortably pale, except for the bruises along his arms and legs. She groans.

She rubs at her chin, dwelling on the dog in the forest.

_I can't leave him._

She thinks suddenly of Nora, and suddenly the smell of blood fills her nostrils. Nausea floods her belly.

_I'm better than that. I have to be._

"How long ago?" She says quickly, grabbing her rifle and looking upriver at the bend.

"What?"

"How long have you been separated?"

Lev raises his head to make eye contact with her, making sense of the question.

"...maybe a few hours...by the bridge - " It was hard to speak through chattering teeth. "-we fell in by the bridge."

Ellie nods her head hesitantly and removes her pack to peel away her coat. Her gaze flickers along the bank to the bend. Searching beyond it would be impossible without returning to the trail.

Ellie holds out her jacket, and Lev's eyes widen in surprise.

"I can't," He shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's fine. I don't need it." She thrusts the coat, gesturing for him to grab it. Her forest-green jacket would be suitable for herself, at least for a while. 

"No - "

"You’re soaked. _Take it_ ,” Ellie's tone intensifies. She arches a brow and thrusts the coat under his chin. "You’re going to freeze to death.”

He slowly reaches with a trembling hand. He grasps it eagerly between numb fingers.

"...thank you," The boy mutters but eagerly moves to tuck his face into the fabric.

"Yeah," Ellie exhales. "No problem."

Lev shimmies free of the wet coat gripping his skin before sliding the replacement across his shoulders.

Ellie offers him a hand.

"Can you walk?"

"Maybe. I think so," Lev nods and hesitates before clasping his hand into hers. She grunts and aids him onto his feet.

"Best not try anything, cool?"

Judging by the state of his arms, he's banged up. Ellie reaches to pull one of his arms across her shoulder. He grimaces but finds himself leaning onto her for support.

"Your sister..." Ellie starts, slowly leading the boy away from the water. "How old is she? Can she swim?"

He stumbles but manages to catch himself.

"Older than me, and y-yeah," The boy winces. "She can, but - we were trying to float across, and she was inside - "

Ellie's stomach drops as they climb slowly back up to the trail.

"Inside the cable-car?"

Lev nods and validates her assumption. Ellie hoped her passage across the water hadn't invited them to do the same.

"Come on," Ellie starts, a little breathless as they climb to reach the trail. Stepping on the even course is a relief, and the boy seemed more capable of supporting himself on smoother terrain.

"There's a little cabin, not far from here," Ellie glances to look at him. "It's a safe place to rest,"

"Why are you doing this?" He blurts apprehensively. Ellie can read the fear on his face, and she pauses, searching for an answer herself.

"Because I'm looking for someone too, I guess," She answers breathlessly, twisting the truth. Not much point in divulging too much. "And it fucking sucks."

Lev doesn't say anything and lowers his head to eye his feet. He didn’t have much choice - relying on this woman might be his only chance to reunite with Abby.

_Also, you'll probably die if I don't;_ Ellie wants to chide but keeps this notion to herself. Sarcasm would take too much energy.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Abby sits on the riverbank, her knees supporting her tired arms. Her breath hovers in frozen clouds around her face, and she stares despondently into the dark water. Her arms are numb from cold, but the soaked coat drying next to her is of little use. She can't help but prod mindlessly at her head wound, which had finally stopped oozing.

_Lev._

Her attempted sweep of the area at first light had been in vain. The only evidence of his presence had been his backpack, found lodged in a wad of limbs and debris.

She had been lucky she hadn't drowned, all things considered, despite finding herself painfully close to the riverside platform. The roar of the river had swallowed her cries to locate him after pulling herself free, and Abby had been left to panic in the dark.

A pair of clickers lay dead several meters behind her; one slumped over a rotting pine-trunk. A shot through the cheek had ended the first relatively quickly. The remaining infected was only evident by a corpse's weathered shoe peeking from the undergrowth. The generator sat silent now in the distance, choked dry of gasoline.

The growl had continued to lure a small throng of infected, voraciously eager greet her onshore. Abby rubs her knuckles into her tired eyes. There wasn't time to be exhausted, but fatigue had broken her to rest her legs. The guilt brewing in her stomach hadn’t allowed her to sleep even if she wanted to.

_You are my responsibility._

Nowhere along this stretch had she seen any evidence of him.

No flash of his white-tee shirt. No response to her cries to locate him.

She lowers her head, watching an insect meander among the weeds. Abby wasn't sure he was a strong swimmer, but she knew he was out there somewhere.

_I'll find him, even if it's just his body -_

Tears sting her eyes, and she swallows a dry sob. Sluggishly, Abby moves to stand and grips her coat between her bloodied hands. Pushing aside the tall weeds, she continues walking along the river, surveying the water. Dawn pressed eerily through a clouded sky, providing just enough light to guide her way.

Abby shudders and folds her arm to draw some warmth to her chest. _I need to find a safe place to rest my eyes, just for a moment._ Her head throbs painfully, and despite her compulsion to recover Lev, her body had hit its limit.

She stumbles to a stop. Blinking, she makes out the distinct outline of a series of jumbled vehicles piled against the bank. _From the bridge_ , she thinks feebly, moving closer to investigate. If anything, she could use their frame to block the assailing wind for a while. 

Abby peers through the window of a suburban, noting it was still waterlogged from its swim. She circles around it, peering inside a compact pressed behind it. It had settled upright, and she pulls at a handle to tug it open. Water pours from the backseat, and she covers her mouth at the fetid smell emanating from inside. Abby slams it shut in annoyance. 

She presses her back against the car's door and slides to sit. Her head rests uncomfortably against the aluminum frame, but she knew if she were to close her eyes…

Abby pulls the damp coat over herself. It would have to do…and if any infected dare to clamber over the vehicles, the noise would rattle her awake. She tucks her pistol in her lap, resting a hand on the grip.

Guilt washes over her as she offers one last glance around her. Abby thinks of her remaining bullets, wondering how she would cope if she were to find his remains. She squeezes her eyes shut, wishing the thought way.

_If he’s alive, he may have headed to the lodge. He’s bright, and if he can’t find me…that would be the smart thing to do._

Abby painstakingly removes her pack to dig for the sodden map and carefully unfolds it. How many times had they gone over their plotted course together? _Countless_. Surely he would remember.

They were less than a day out from where the lodge was hopefully still standing.

She tries to rationalize where else he would go.

_There was nowhere else._

Either he had drowned, or was looking for her too… Abby could only pray it was the latter. Her fingers mindfully fold the map away, careful not to split it at the creases.

She looks instead at one twisted, overturned car still halfway-submerged in the river.

Abby blinks, suddenly aware that something was still attached to the roof. A sun-bleached kayak peaks from beneath a stripped tarp. She slowly sits up, and hope wells in her chest. _Looks intact_. It might be the quickest across if he’s on the other side. The swift water had relaxed as the day progressed, and if she could regain a little strength…

It’s still possible. She allows her skull to rest on the car door, and she shuts her eyes. Just for a little while…how long has it been since I slept? She tries to remember, and her eyes flutter closed.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie shields her face, mindful of her eyes. The window-glass shatters loudly, sending small shards flying into the floor of the cabin. Broken bits of plywood sat piled around her feet. She had found the best way to remove it - and the only way - was to yank the rotting sheet off in pieces.

"Wish there was a better way to do this," She breaks out the remaining shards along the perimeter to allow herself safe passage through the opening.

"One second -" She heaves herself through the opening and shines her flashlight to illuminate the cabin. A layer of foilage and debris clutters the floor next to a small, clogged chimney. In the far corner sat a desk, still decorated with the former occupant's name placard. She gives in to curiosity, picking it up to wipe the dust away to read the dirtied letters. _Buddy? Huh._

She reaches to swipe at a spider's web bridged inside the entryway and unlocks the door. It creaks open, and Ellie peaks her head out to greet the Scar, resting on the porch bench outside. His eyes were closed, and he looked dangerously close to falling asleep.

"Come on," She gestures him to rise and grabs and arm. "Get out of the wind."

He stumbles in the door frame, and she catches him and aids him inside. The boy flashes a concerned glance to the corpse on the porch.

"That's just Buddy," She mutters in reassurance. "He was here when I found the place.”

She takes his jacket and tosses it across the back of a weathered seat to dry. He moves slowly to sit next to the window. Only two seats were present in the room, not offering much in terms of comfort.

Shame there wasn't a couch.

He slides to sit on the floor, resting the back of his head against the lumber wall. It had been well over a day since he had slept, and fatigue was quickly setting in.

"It's a short walk to the platform," She murmurs, whistling awkwardly through her teeth.

He nods, but she wonders if he understands.

"I'll be back in an hour. " Ellie turns to leave but pauses, suddenly realizing she didn't even know who she was supposed to be searching for.

"What's your sister's name?"

Lev blinks and raises his head. His mind races, fumbling for an answer. If this woman is lying and is really a Wolf -

" _Yara_ ," The name comes out with a wince, and he shakes his lowered head. "Her name is Yara." His throat clears uncomfortably.

Ellie nods slowly, noting the pain in his voice. She could only imagine what he must be feeling right now.

"Stay put."

Ellie trots down the creaky steps and hits the path at a steady pace. She soon finds herself jogging to reach the jump-off.

_I shouldn't be doing this_ , she thinks but finds herself less frustrated than she imagined. It felt like the last few weeks had just been one pitfall after another, but if Dina were here... I'm sure she would want to help too.

She blinks away the thought of her, slowing to catch her breath at the booth.

\----

Ellie stands at the edge of the water, her hands resting on her hips. A gondola sits in the center, halfway swallowed by the bloated river.

She whistles in awe at the height the river had achieved since last night.

_If anyone's in there, they've surely drowned…_

She peers hard along the banks, but the only thing of note is a collapsed pair of clickers on the opposite bank. Evidence of infected only made her more uneasy about the Scar's fate.

"Yara!" She curls her hands around her mouth and calls out, but the running water swallows the sound.

Ellie eyes the swift current. Even if she managed to free herself… she had to have been swept downriver, without a doubt.

She starts the slow walk back to the cabin, her heart heavy with the notion that the siblings may not be reunited.

The rising sun above her was making her restless and eager to move. She grumbles in annoyance and turns to ascend the muddy bank. Her foot catches on a root, but she manages to steady herself on her hands and knees. A rustling in the underbrush startles her to reach for her weapon.

" _Shit!_ " Ellie hisses, her eyes landing on an equally startled hare darting up and away from her. Her shaky hand fumbles for her revolver, anticipating the bloody maw of a runner to greet her in the brush. Ellie freezes when she’s instead greeted by the nervous presence of a startled rabbit, disturbed by her presence.

She loosens her grasp on the gun, moving instead to delicately nock an arrow.

\---

The cabin door closes, and Lev stares at it for a moment. He sighs; his eyelids are impossibly heavy. The grim room did little to improve his dampened spirit. It was still uncomfortably cold, but bearably so out of the wind.

_I shouldn't have told her anything at all._ Tears run, stinging his wind-blistered cheeks. He draws his body into itself for warmth and dares to shut his eyes. _Just a moment_ , he tries to assure himself. 

His hand slips into his pocket to feel the presence of the wheat penny, stowed the day prior. _Of all the things the river decided not to steal._ Lev groans in annoyance.

_For just a second, and I'll come to help her look for you._

Lev dreams of familiarity - of Yara, of home, before his former life shattered into pieces. When his mother was alive and dared to smile at him; when he was still Yara's shadow. Abby reveals herself too, and he's brought back to the first time she let him shoot her WLF-issued pistol.

He wakes to the sound of creaking hinges and knuckles rapping softly on the door. His eyes peel open painfully to see the crouching figure of the young woman who brought him here. Lev blinks as she comes into focus. There's a smear of blood across her cheek, and he can't help but assume the worst.

Ellie shakes her head, hands clasped together.

"I'm sorry," She says quietly. "I didn't see her."

She outstretches her arm to offer her canteen, and he reluctantly takes it from her hands. His brows draw together in disappointment.

Ellie huffs as she straightens her back and eases to the cabin's cracked door.

"She’s probably downriver. She might be looking for you too," Ellie clears her throat, trying to offer some reassurance. Lev nods meekly and takes a deep drink from the container. Ellie looks at her hands and wrings them together, wishing she knew the right thing to say.

_Ugh…Dina had always been so good with kids._

"There's a fire," Ellie turns to leave, her hand resting on the doorknob. "If you wanna get warm, you're welcome to it."

Lev stays quiet, and Ellie lingers for a moment before excusing herself.

He grunts after a few minutes, eventually lifting himself to his feet. Holding tight to the river refuse to stay alive had left his body tense and impossibly sore.

Lev's surprised by the smell of roasting meat as he exits the cabin. Ellie sits morosely by the fire, her hands stuffed inside her jacket pockets, cheeks red from the cold. Leaves crunch under Lev’s feet across the porch, and he gingerly moves to join her. He’s startled to see she was kind enough to move his articles next to the fire to dry. Lev’s expression of suspicion softens, and he sits to join her across from the fire.

Warmth licks pleasantly at his face and hands as he works to lace his boots.

A cooked hare leaned supine across the flame, partially eaten. Ellie spots him eyeing it and shrugs her shoulders.

"Have some if you want," She scratches idly at her chin. “It’ll go to waste if you don’t,” She lies to persuade him, her gaze focused on the fire. She seems distracted with her thoughts, and Lev doesn’t wait to consider the offer. He’s quick to reach for the prize and delicately picks at the tender meat.

"The trail hugs the mountain,” She suggests tiredly. “It’ll be easy to search the river from there.”

Lev nods in acknowledgment and swallows. It's a little dry but divine, given the circumstances. He glances skyward at the sun, nesting just above them.

"You've been out for a couple hours," Long enough to skin some lunch, at least.

Ellie feels herself growing impatient, itching to get back to her hunt.

“What’s your name?” Lev looks up from his food to meet her eyes.

“Ellie,” She says after a moment. It had been a while since she had introduced herself to anyone.

"Who are you looking for?" Lev asks suddenly through a full mouth. His looming suspicion of her intentions and identity made it difficult to sit and eat in polite silence.

She raises a brow, pondering how to answer that question.

"Have you seen a man, about six feet?" She asks. "Shitty beard, hunting jacket... _probably pissed off_ , slinging a rifle?"

Lev slowly shakes his head no, and Ellie looks down at her muddied shoes. Of course he hadn't.

His worries are relieved for the moment.

"I'm just trying to bring someone home."

“…by yourself?” Lev shakes his head in mild disbelief. Traveling alone was something he wasn’t willing to imagine, and especially now, the thought terrified him.

Ellie nods. She yawns and scratches the back of her head. The sound crunching of leaves grabs both of their attention, and Ellie looks to see a familiar face peering at them through the trees. The dog from this morning paces between them, sniffing and lapping at a patch of the forest floor.

"Look who's back," Ellie mutters, watching Lev studying the dog uneasily. _Not a fan of dogs, I gather. Can’t blame you_. Having seen a Scar’s forearms ripped apart by WLF hellhounds herself, she didn’t hold it against him. "He's harmless enough," She tries to reassure him. Ellie watches the mutt sniff the ground, realizing he's checking out the entrails of lunch's unlucky hare. "Probably wouldn't try to pet him, though."

Lev takes another bite. She certainly didn't have to worry about that. Ellie furrows her brows and leans forward, a question burning her tongue.

"What are two Seraphites doing all the way out in Montana?"

Lev stops chewing slowly lowers the carcass in his hands.

He doesn't really know how to answer that. 

"I...we're not Seraphites. At least not anymore," It's hard to look at her when he says so. There are still moments where he's not sure if he's fully come to terms with it either.

Ellie's curiosity piques.

"We had to leave.” He clears his throat, and Ellie nods in understanding. She feels guilty for asking. It obviously was a sore spot.

"If you're not a Wolf, how did you know about my scars?"

Ellie offers a shrug. _Well_ ….

""I've been walking for a long time... I’ve taken a lot of detours. Seattle was one of them. You're uh, _not the first one I've come across,_ " She’s reminded of an instance where she wasn’t able to offer a clean kill to a particularly unfortunate Scar. Her blade had snapped buried inside his spine, and she was forced to execute him with a precious bullet instead.

"I've had to dodge a few of those WLF assholes myself," She shrugs, resting her chin in her palm. Her smile fades, choosing to omit the many grisly details.

“I see,” Lev says quietly. _What a coincidence._

A half-hearted smile flashes on her lips as she feeds the fire. The only dry wood she could manage to find had been stowed beneath the cabin’s porch.

Ellie didn't feel it necessary to burden him with her experiences.

He says nothing but glances to the dog on the outskirts of the thick underbrush. It had since stopped lapping at the wet leaves and was now sitting, watching patiently as he eats.

"We're just looking for a new home." Lev adds, under his breath.

Ellie nods slowly and decides not to press further for now. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to divulge too much. Relatable.

"Well, Montana's a pretty place to find one," She sighs and stands, reaching for her pack. She had taken enough time to assist, but it was time to leave. “It’s awfully quiet out here.”

Lev finishes eating as Ellie prepares herself to go. She stares blankly at the stripped hare carcass on the makeshift spit. Lev notices her interest and offers it to her, and he watches curiously as she stalks off to the treeline with it in her hands.

She takes a few gentle paces towards the edge of the meadow and flings it into the forest floor. The dog waits for her to turn and walk away before probing the remains. Its teeth gnaw loudly on a precious bone, and Lev observes the woman seems gratified by feeding him.

Lev stands, pulling the borrowed jacket tight around his shoulders. Ellie passes him, and the two make eye contact. Now what?

She wrestles with the thought of leaving him behind alone against the potential of losing Tommy’s trail.

I already have enough trouble sleeping, she thinks bitterly. Her hands had been stained by a lot of blood, but not by the indirect death of a...kid. She clenches her fists together in her lap, allowing herself to enjoy the last sensations of warmth as she roughly scratches out the fire with a shoe.

"I have to go," She says, stomping out hot ash. Lev nods in understanding. There's a pause between them, and Ellie clears her throat.

“You’re welcome to come along. I’ll help you search as long as I can,” She shrugs a shoulder.

Lev takes a moment to consider her proposition, fighting the notion to reject it.

“If you want, I mean.”

“Yeah,” He says finally, zipping the jacket to his throat. It swallowed him whole but was warm all the same. “Okay.”

“Back this way,” She says, motioning to the trail. “Keep an eye out. We’ve been making a lot of noise.”

Lev nods glumly in understanding, trotting to catch up close behind her.

Ellie keeps her eyes to the ground, and a notion begins to prod at the forefront of her mind. She had worked to quell the same hatred that drove Tommy, but Abby’s impact was persistent.

“Lev,” She starts, and he breaks his focus to look at her. “Have you and your sister run across anyone else out here?”

Lev shakes his head.

“No. Just infected,” He frowns at her disappointment. “I’m sorry.”

Ellie smiles in understanding and minds her sneakers. She keeps a careful eye on the damp earth along the path, looking for any trace of footprints that may be preserved after the storm. boots

“No problem."

_I’m just here to bring Tommy home anyway_ , she has to remind herself. She had spent a long time on the road, prying away the same claws of obsession that spurred him.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Abby’s eyes open slowly to the mild sensation of sunlight beaming on her face. She grumbles and wakes to the sun resting high above her.

“Ow…” She jerks instinctively to sit up straight, realizing she had slept far longer than intended. She groans and stretches her arms. Her clothes had managed to dry somewhat in the timid sun. She uses the car behind her to straighten herself and presses a hand to her forehead to shield against blinding daylight.

_No way_. Abby has to blink to ensure she’s not hallucinating. A pillar of grey smoke spills into the sky from across the river. _Fire_.

“Lev –“ She whispers, moving quickly to the water’s edge. Her hands reach desperately to rip the tarp free from the roof, exposing the full kayak. The paddle was still attached, thankfully. A palm runs across the material, and she goes to work to unfasten it.

_It’s brittle from exposure, but I can make this work._

Abby acts quickly, yanking the kayak free. She grimaces as she settles it halfway into the water, inspecting the inside. No cracks. Perfect. She brushes away an insect crawling free from inside, and a sudden rush of hope forces her to stifle a laugh. She hurries to zip her jacket and struggles to push the kayak’s nose into the water. An expression of determination settles on her face, and she slides inside, gripping the paddle between clenched fists.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie crouches and reaches to pluck a bullet casing from the mud. She peers around them to investigate the scraped earth, carved from what Ellie could only assume was a struggle. The foul odor of decomposition wrinkles her nose.

Four bodies lined the trail, along with the scattered remnants of a deer carcass. Runners, judging by the state of them.

“Looks like someone was hunting and wound up with more than they bargained for,” She whispers. Noting Lev’s concern, she tries to assure him.

“Don’t worry. Looks like they’ve been here a few days, at least.”

Lev breathes easily after ensuring the final body didn’t share the face of his friend.

Ellie’s hand reaches behind her for her bow. She waves Lev over, and he obliges, eyes widening in surprise when she offers it to him.

“You know how to use this?”

He nods fervently and takes it, along with its quill.

“Yeah…no problem.”

“Good. You might need to.”

Lev readies the bow in his hand, attention drifting back to the river. It was growing harder to see through the thick evergreens. Ellie tries to make sense of the tracks, now full of water. Most were irregular – evidence of infected – but some… deep boot prints, with a steady gait, carved into the trail. Someone was able to make a run for it.

Ellie wipes her hands on her jeans and tosses the casing to the ground.

“You think these belong to your friend?” Lev studies her hardened expression.

“Family,” Ellie gently corrects him. “And maybe. I hope so,” She steps gingerly over a corpse in their path.

“What is he running from?”

“He’s not running from anyone,” She raises a brow. Tommy doesn’t run from anything. Ellie offers a glance over her shoulder. “He’s hunting someone.”

Lev’s pace slows as he speculates what she means by that statement and the impetus for their search. He swallows his questions, watching her forge ahead.

\----

Behind them sat the remnants of an old convenience store. They had met an impasse, the path now dwindling to meet a paved road. The door had long been broken in, its interior entirely stripped of anything useful. The perfect place to rest for a bit, she thinks.

Ellie had spent more time than she would like to admit helping the teenager search the river and surrounding forest. Chatter had been limited, not that she minded. The deafening silence of disappointment between the two after-hours was starting to weigh thick in the air. It was here that the path began to twist away from the river, intersecting with a marked highway. Smeared footprints clawed along the tracks, forming muddy streaks across the pavement, strewing back onto the trail on the other side. She could make out the beginnings of a widened dirt road on the other side.

“Hope you know how to cook those,” Ellie remarks, watching Lev climb to meet her from the mountain stream. He's netted an impressive amount of tiny minnows with the help of Ellie's equipment. “I don’t.”

Lev offers a half-hearted smile. “I do,” He stands next to her while she scratches away at a patch of carpeted leaves to expose damp earth. The light was starting to die, and the mountain was growing uncomfortably dark. “I can show you. Got a pot?”

“Cool,” Ellie smiles and tries to ignite a piece of dry tinder. “But no, I don’t. Not anymore,” He frowns but doesn’t seem discouraged.

“A flat rock will do,” He says, searching the ground carefully for a perfect stone. Ellie turns her flashlight on to assist.

“It’s getting dark again. Maybe she’ll spot the fire,” Ellie blows softly on the small flame, shielded carefully between her hands.

_He’s a nice kid,_ she can’t help but think. _Quiet, but nice._

“I hope so,” He sighs, returning with a stone in his hands. He helps feed some dry twigs into the flame.

He leans back to sit on the ground, warming her legs. Lev hovers over the flame before placing the stone directly next to the fire.

“…there’s an old hunting lodge not far from here,” Lev adds after a few moments. Ellie raises her head, intrigued.

“We were so close to finding it.” He sighs and wipes tired at his eyes.

“A lodge?” Ellie asks curiously. “Why come all the way here for a lodge in the woods?”

Lev purses his lips, feeling the truth slipping. She seemed harmless enough.

“I don’t really know.” He answers finally, and Ellie stares at him, noting his refusal to make eye contact.

“It’s supposed to be a secret. All I know is…it’s an abandoned home front.” He adds after a moment, praying she wouldn’t prod him with any more questions. “Yara said they had to leave in a hurry a few years ago. It’s our best chance of starting over.” Using her name this way stung. It was growing more apparent that he couldn’t keep lying to this woman for much longer. _Now that she knew about the lodge...what was the use?_

Ellie smiles.

_Starting over_ , she thinks. The notion makes her smile. _Wish it was that easy._

“Do you remember how to get there?” She asks simply.

“Yes. It was supposed to be just off the highway after we crossed the river. We were to follow it, and look for signs for Strayhill,” He burrows further in his jacket, feeling regret for even addressing it. The temperature was dropping again now that the sun was setting. “Only a day’s walk from the bridge, maybe less.”

“Your sister may try to wait there for you, you know,” Ellie breathes into the fire with her hands. It bursts into life, and she leans away, warming her hands. “If she can’t find you, any clue where else she might go?’

The flames die down around the stone, and the two watch as its underbelly glows red. Lev spreads the array of tiny minnows along it's surface and ponders the idea. _If I were Abby, what would I do?_ He screws his eyebrows together in thought.

_If she couldn’t find me, she would meet me at the lodge._

“No. I suppose that’s my next stop.”

Ellie’s pleased by the expression of hope on his face. She wonders dreadfully; what would he do if he was to go and be met with no one? The possibility made her uneasy. The brunette wouldn’t allow her cynicism to show, though she expected his sister probably hadn’t survived the plunge.

While dinner sizzles, she’s reminded of her journal and reaches for it to update her progress. Lev watches curiously as she flips through the pages for her bookmark and removes Dina’s faded polaroid. Frequently handled, it was beginning to turn an unpleasant shade of beige.

“It’s to help me keep track of where I’ve been and where I’m going,” She murmurs as she presses her pen to paper. She jots down what she believes to be the date and pauses in thought.

“You keep pictures.” Lev states and offers a faint smile. Ellie quickly tucks it into another page.

“This is the only one I have, unfortunately.”

“We never took them.” Lev prods at their food. His appetite was nonexistent, but his stomach ached for another meal. He listens to her scribble idly in her journal, allowing the two to enjoy a few minutes of peace.

“Cameras and film are hard to find. This is an old one, though,” Ellie’s eyes roam across the photo at a younger Dina. This one was probably taken not long after Ellie arrived in Jackson. “I was under the assumption that old-world tech was off-limits anyway.”

Lev nods to affirm her suspicions.

“Can I ask you something?” He finally musters the courage to ask, his tone tentative.

“Shoot.” Ellie listens carefully, noting his nervousness.

Lev tilts his head.

“I mean, _go right ahead,_ ” Ellie explains with a twirl of her pen.

_Oh._ He tucks the phrase away in the back of his mind to use later.

“Your family is hunting someone. Why?” She eyes him, and it feels like he’s staring right through her.

Ellie taps her pen against the page in thought and purses her lips. She raises her head, and they lock eyes, and a shiver runs up his spine.

“He’s looking for the killer who murdered his brother,” Ellie winces talking about it, and lowers her gaze to her hands.

Lev says nothing, offering her a look of empathy. There’s a long silence between the two. He digests what she’s told him and chooses to mind their meal in thought.

“You want to find the person who did it, too, don’t you?” He could see it in her face, the way she looked into the fire. He understood that feeling quite well.

"Well...they made him suffer,” Ellie says shortly. She’s embarrassed, able to hear the anger waver in her own voice. “Of course I do.”

Lev lowers his gaze to the campfire.

“But she’s long gone,” Ellie waves the thought away and the prevailing tension. “I promised to bring him home, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

The two sit in silence for a while as Ellie tries to think of what she wants to tell her journal tonight. A comforting hand moves to rest on her shoulder, and she looks up to see Lev sitting next to her.

“You’re brave,” Lev turns to look at her.

Ellie tries to suppress a smile and scratches a note quickly in her journal. 

“Hm.” _Ooof. I don’t know about_ , she wants to say but keeps it to herself. Ellie takes it as a compliment.

“You remind me of my sister,” Lev adds, removing his hand and turning his attention back to the fire. He slides the stone from the flames to cool. “For what it’s worth, whoever did this will reap what they’ve sewn,” He offers a look of certainty that makes her feel oddly comforted.

“Thanks. I hope so,” She exhales and stops scratching in her journal.

_Crossed the river into Libby, Montana today. Met a Scar. Made a couple friends._

She doodles a small dog next to the sentence, finding that suitable for the evening. It hardly resembled the mangy mutt chewing at her boot, but it would have to do. Ellie reads it over, noting how starkly different it was next to her previous entries. She would have to embellish tonight’s some other time.

Ellie snaps it closed and shoves it back to safety inside of her backpack. She brushes past her collection of cards, and an idea flourishes.

She had nearly forgotten about collecting them since not stumbling across once since Seattle. Any hobby or sense of pleasure hadn’t seemed feasible or worthy of attention, but not she sifts through them, invigorated.

The bright colors garner Lev’s attention, and she flips through them until she finds the one on her mind.

“Here we go. Starfire Kids,” She mutters and turns it over, inspecting the front and the back. “Ever seen these before?”

Lev shakes his head no.

“It pains me to do this, but I want you to have it. They kind of remind me of you, and _you know_ \- maybe your sister,” She jokes and outstretches her hand to offer it to him. He reluctantly takes it and inspects it. " _T_ _hey get their powers from the stars_. Pretty cool. Keep it. For _uh_ , good luck.”

_I like them, so why wouldn’t a kid? That’s who they were intended for anyway_ , as Dina had often liked to remind her.

Lev carefully plucks the card from her hands and rubs his fingers across the smooth surface. Trading cards were a foreign concept to him, but he appreciated the gesture.

“You believe in luck?” He asks, inspecting the siblings on the front of the card.

“Sometimes.” She grumbles in response and scratches the back of her head. “It was lucky that I found you, wasn’t it?”

Lev smiles and digs in his pocket with his free hand. Ellie watches as he pulls a coin from it and places it in her palm.

“Take this.”

Ellie overturns the copper coin to investigate.

“A wheat penny. I used to know someone in Jackson who collected these –“

“My sister collects coins. These are lucky. It’s yours,” He nods, an expression of self-satisfaction replacing the gloom. “To help find your family.”

Ellie weighs the penny in her palm. It felt far heftier than it was as if she was holding everything she had carried with her since forging out on her own. Sitting here with Lev made her realize that helping him had made her conscious…lighter.

_Funny. Collecting coins seemed like a very secular hobby for a Seraphite._

“Thanks,” She slips it in her coat pocket and gives it a certain pat. “I’ll hold onto it.”

“If you ever find any of these, save them for me, alright?” She flashes the small stack of cards before stowing them away. He nods in acknowledgment and takes a bite of food, and pushes the flat stone toward her with a boot to eat the rest. Ellie obliges and begins to eat, her eyes wandering to look at the stars. “In case we run into each other,” She smiles. The probability of them ever crossing paths again was slim to none. It had been so long since she had the chance to talk to anyone that she had forgotten she missed it.

“If I take a detour and help you find this place, you think Yara would care if I took a bath before moving on?”

Lev stifles a chuckle, which surprises her.

“I don’t see why not.”

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

The cabin porch creaked eerily under Abby’s weight. She peers inside the open door of the empty cabin.

Behind her sat the evidence of a campfire. The ashes were still dry, untouched by the previous night’s storm. This is fresh, Abby thinks. She steps down to trot over and investigates the soft dirt around the fire.

He was here. Abby touches the fresh prints with her fingertips, scouring the perimeter of the fire. Fear beings to sink in at the realization that there was absolutely more than one person here.

“Shit,” She mutters, her hand reaching to rest on her gun. There was notably less infection on the bridge's eastern side, but her earlier encounter with them had left her shaken and paranoid.

Her eyes dart across the forest floor to pinpoint their direction. Abby’s walk turns into a jog as she meets a steep incline along the path. She takes a breath and pauses to survey the river. Her eyes search for the cluster of vehicles across the river where she rested, but she can hardly make out the landmark. _No wonder he couldn’t find me_. He had been swept far further than she imagined possible.

She stands to overlook it, frustrated by the tall pines blocking her view. Abby wipes the sweat from her brow, made more nervous by the western sun setting across the mountains.

_Did the fire attract someone else?_

She doesn’t know how to rationalize the extra tracks, but the sense of urgency to find him heightens. It would be dark within a few hours, and she would need to hurry if she was going to make any headway before nightfall. Abby ignores the growl in her stomach and begins trot along the path.

Judging by the direction of the path, her instincts had been right. Undoubtedly, he was headed for their destination. Grief melts in her chest.

_Please be okay._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

_“Please stop!”_ Ellie cries out desperately as her face Is pushed into the ground. She’s back in the forest, and through the conifers, she can make out the distinct gait of infected closing in around her.

_“Please-”_ Her throat feels tight, and the pitiful plea does nothing to curb the monster in front of her. An immense pressure forces down on her, but she’s unable to see the unknown entities immobilizing her. A hand grips her skull, pressing it into further the mud.

Just like the ski resort – she thinks frantically, watching the mud beneath her distort and undulate. Her fingers reach to claw into the soil but find resistance against solid concrete.

Eyes dart to see the creatures gone, replaced by the vivid memory of Abby’s body, posed to viciously strike in the resort basement.

_I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming!_

She squeezes her eyes shut to try to rattle herself awake. Wake up, she wheezes to herself. Wake up!

“Ellie-” Lev's voice whispers, shaking her awake. “Hey, wake up!”

Ellie wakes to see him kneeling over her, his hand tightly gripping her shoulder.

Lev brings a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. The pair settled into the storefront for the evening, with intentions of grabbing a few hours of sleep before carving further into the mountain. The boy gestures to the door, and Ellie squints her eyes. Outside, she’s able to hear the distinct grunting of infected. Her heart pounds as she sees the sporadic jerking of a pair of them stumbling past the open doorframe. The creature leers through the opening, it’s fungal head sniffing in the air.

They two stay quiet for a moment, and Ellie gathers her bearings. Ellie turns to Lev and the bow, gripped in his hands. He raises to shoot, and it falls dead in the doorway.

Ellie sighs in relief, straining to listen for more signs of activity outside.

“Do you hear that?” Lev whispers, watching as Ellie shrugs her pack on her shoulders. A shriek echoes in the forest.

“There’s more of them,” She mutters, gripping her revolver and peering carefully through the entryway. 

“It’s close. It sounds distressed,” Ellie shines her flashlight around the gas station’s premises. A misshapen form shuffles awkwardly in the dark, stumbling towards the scream.

“It’s gonna draw them out, making all that fuss.” She pauses in thought and offers Lev a glance.

“I’m going to take care of this. You stay here-“

“No,” He says firmly, and Ellie raises a brow. “I’m coming with you,” Lev reaches for another arrow from his quill. The two lock eyes.

_He doesn’t want to be alone._

“Yeah, alright,” She hums, and he seems to relax. “Come on.”

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

“Oh, what in the _fuck_ – “

Abby’s flashlight illuminates the trail, and the remains scattered across it come into focus. Her nose is tucked into the crook of an arm to shield her against the smell. Infected. Nothing smells quite like a body consumed by cordyceps, especially a dead one. She sighs in relief.

It’s well past dark, and Abby pushes her limits to keep moving through pitch-darkness.

Her ears perk at the sound of a distorted ‘pop’ in the distance. Her head whips to face the direction of the sound, and soon enough, another clap follows behind it. Then another.

_Gunfire._

Abby’s rattled from her panic by the impossibly close growl of an animal at her feet. Instinctively, she raises her loaded crossbow, ready to fire. The creature's eyes reflect back at her menacingly from the undergrowth, far too close for comfort. She takes a step back, realizing she’s staring at a mongrel.

It barks at her, issuing a low, threatening croon. It hovers over a chunk of the deer carcass, its snout bloodied from feasting on its scavenge. She takes a step back, and the dog licks its lips and lowers its head tear into the meat.

Her finger lingers on the trigger. She watches the dog chew and lowers her weapon.

_I just got a little too close. It’s fine._

She steps around the remains and heads off in the direction of the shots. It’s not far… She grits her teeth and rubs at her sore neck before setting off.

_I can make it by morning. Just have to keep going._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie leads while the two continue to follow the dirt path after crossing the highway. It’s here that the incline steepens, winding up the mountainside.

The two stop, straining to see any signs of movement inside Ellie’s flashlight beam. A freshly dead infected lies behind them, and Lev finishes yanking a salvageable arrow from its orbital socket. It makes a sucking ‘pop,’ and Ellie glances at him. The birthplace of the screeching sounds as if it’s just ahead.

“Straight shot, right?”

“Yeah,” He affirms, wiping the projectile clean on his pants.

The two press ahead slowly, and Ellie is soon shocked to see the outline of a cargo truck. Her eyes dart to read the faded letters painted on the tailgate.

“Fedra,” She whispers the name aloud. “This looks like a military vehicle…” She swallows. It’s tires sat flat, abandoned long enough to dry-rot. They were exactly the same military vehicles she was used to patrolling the streets back in Boston.

“Geez,” Ellie slowly approaches it, and she can smell the death before she sees it. She recoils slightly as she shines her light into the back. A corpse lay limp over the end of the tailgate, clothes swallowing its thin frame. She gasps in surprise at the sight of a light chain dangling from its throat. Carefully, her fingers reach to inspect the pair of dog-tags, reflecting back at her.

“No way…” Ellie rubs a thumb across the engraved symbol of the front. She looks up, her mind racing to put the pieces together.

“What are Fireflies doing out here?” Ellie curiously surveys the scene.

Lev nervously shakes his head.

“I…don’t know,” He says quietly.

She narrows her eyes and lets the tags slip free from her hand.

“This doesn’t make sense.”

_Why do Fireflies have custody of Fedra cargo? What the fuck were they doing out here?_ Ellie doesn’t express these concerns aloud, but the questions surrounding their presence were endless.

Lev slowly moves away along the car to peer around the truck, and Ellie offers her light. A shriek surrounds them, and she holds her gun steady between her hands, prepared to fire.

Her breath stills as she illuminates the source of the smell. She throws her arm out to keep Lev behind her, and his eyes widen as he too focuses on the scene ahead.

A clicker stands among a minefield of beartraps, it’s legs caught in the maw inside two steel jaws. They bite viciously into the flesh of its legs, and it thrashes, trying to free itself—the decaying bodies of many more lie littered around it, trapped in the same manner. Bones and remains scatter the saturated ground, including scraps of clothes and accessories. The thrashing of infected had created a shallow trench, now filled with putrid rainwater.

“ _Ugh,_ ” Ellie fights the urge to turn her head. The smell was indescribable.

“Watch your feet,” She advises Lev. He searches the faces of the dead. Ellie takes a glance at her boots to mind that she’s not close to stepping on a beartrap herself. “Must have just wandered in. Good thing they’re too stupid to pry themselves free.”

“They tore each other apart,” Lev whispers, noting the littered remains in the mud.

“Probably cannibalized each other out of hunger,” Ellie remarks dismissively, carefully toeing the circle of trap's perimeter. “C’mon. Let’s shut this thing up.”

Lev’s finger releases from the bowstring, and the clicker drops in the threshold. The shrieking stops with a violent gurgle, and Ellie take a moment to savor the quiet. Ellie turns her attention to the truck while Lev kneels to inspect the ground, and she reaches to pull something from the mud. An angular shimmer catches his eye.

“They were trying to leave,” Ellie murmurs to herself and rubs her chin. They were definitely trying to keep infected from intruding any further, judging by the array of traps.

Lev purses his lips nervously.

She shines her light away from the path to illuminate a frayed tarp smothered in pine needles. A curious hand reaches to pull it free from the stone structure beneath it. It flaps to the stonework's feet, and she runs her fingers across the purposeful grooves on the front. Her eyes widen.

_Strayhill!_ Her heart jumps with excitement. This is what Lev was looking for.

“Look!” Ellie turns to his back as he kneels.

The smile fades on her face when she realizes what he’s holding. He wipes away a thin layer of mud-caked along the stock of a hunting rifle.

“No way,” He murmurs. “This is it.“

Ellie stares at the rifle and finds herself needing the truck behind her for support.

“Do you recognize this?” He asks softly, coming to stand at her side. She opens her mouth to speak but cannot find the words. A shaky hand reaches to take it from him, and he offers it to her, and she runs her hand across the stock. She fixates on the scope and dreadfully turns it around to inspect the gun’s butt plate.

“Whoa, hey,” Lev quickly moves to her side as she stumbles to brace herself against the truck’s door. Her body slides down it until she’s sitting, gripping the weapon in her hands.

“Ellie-” He whispers, crouching next to her. Lev reaches instinctively to put a hand on her back as she stares at the initials carved there.

“I need a second - “ She whispers, feeling nauseous. She squeezes her eyes shut, and Lev watches as tears stream down her cheeks.

“I-I’m sorry-“

“This is Tommy’s,” She breathes. The bodies before them could be anyone. Infected, human beings…

“He could still be alive,” He immediately tries to reassure her, but even he deflates a little at her admission. Ellie opens her eyes to stare at the expanse of bear traps and the bodies trapped inside. “It’s too dark to know for sure.”

He finds his voice shaky with emotion. She had only been a stranger this morning, but now he felt oddly compelled to help her. _Much like how she helped me_ , he thinks. _How would I think if I were to stumble on Abby’s remains?_ He pushes the thought away.

Ellie can hear him speaking but finds herself unresponsive. She closes her eyes and allows her head to rest between her knees.

Everything was for nothing—months of tracking. _Killing._

_Joel’s death. Nora._

_Tommy…_

Ellie feels like she’s going to be sick.

_Dina and Jesse loathe me. And Maria…_

She fights the urge to sling the gun back into the mud. Instead, she tries to stand. Lev aids her to her feet, and she roughly wipes her face with her coat-sleeve. A groan in the underbrush causes Lev to whip his head to face the intruder. Ellie can make out the jagged shape of another abominable creature, and she raises the rifle. Lev opens her mouth, trying to keep her from pulling the trigger. The blast startles him to take a step backward.

The top half of the stalker's skull blows free. It collapses among the rest of the remains, and Ellie fires again.

_Maria’s piercing stare might kill me when I tell her the news._

She presses the trigger again, and Lev reaches to stop her. A hand clasps her arm, and she lowers her weapon. Her throat feels tight, and she finds herself having to take a deep breath.

“Let’s get back to the store,” Lev says softly. “I can help you look in the morning.”

“Your lodge,” Ellie mutters suddenly. “It’s this way up the mountain. How far?”

“… I don’t know. A few miles?”

Ellie turns to look at him, and the expression he finds on her face unsettles him.

" _We're going now_. Cool?”

“Yeah,” Lev answers after a few moments. “ _Cool_. It’s cool.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fairly focused on Ellie and Lev, but the next installment will have more Abby/Ellie in the limelight. Stay tuned to the next chapter, "on sight", where our girls finally meet face-to-face. I'm also excited to introduce a new character: the lodge.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr for updates related to this fic and other works:  
> https://quillsickink.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thank you for the folks who have commented with feedback and left kudos. I truly appreciate it. See you soon.
> 
> Spoiler: The cable snapped because Abby is too thique.


	3. on sight

**𓆤𓆤𓆤𓆤𓆤**

Abby's fingers curl into the chain-linked fence. A cluster of dogs gather on the other side, each attempting to worm furthest forward to gain her attention. A warm hand pats her shoulder affectionately.

"It's alright," Jerry watches Abby as she eyes the kennel gate. "They're friendly," He moves to unlock the entrance and slides inside the pen, mindful not to let any slip past him. Abby watches as her father kneels, and the dogs invite themselves to inspect and sniff his clothes. One plants a fond kiss on his chin, and he wipes it away with the back of a hand.

Abby wastes little time in joining him, taking extra care to close the gate behind her. Within moments, a pair of hounds wiggle over to greet her. She offers both a healthy scratch behind the ears, and they bend into her, content.

"What are they doing here?" she prods, and Jerry turns his focus away from all the dogs vying for his recognition.

"Working. Well, they're still a little green, but hopefully, they'll be ready soon," He stands, and the neglected pups soon turn to join their littermates with Abby. "They're still learning."

Abby's smile widens at the enthusiasm in her dad's voice. "Hunting dogs?" Her heart warms as one tucks itself into her arms. Jerry shakes his head gently.

"They’re in training to sniff out infected. Here's hoping they'll keep our work here safe," He takes a few slow paces over to her. "- and us, of course."

The expedition into Montana had been a long one, and it was nice to see the pay-off in Abby's present joy. He had made many promises about their destination and hoped he hadn't fully disappointed. The surgeon had been working non-stop since their arrival, and a morning spent between them felt like a desperately needed distraction.

"Happy Birthday, Abs."

Abby's smile fades, and she raises her eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry our adventure has been a little...rocky so far," Jerry raises a brow and pulls a small, paper-wrapped gift from inside the inner lining of his jacket. Abby gingerly takes it from him and rips through the packaging to reveal a petite, leather-bound book. She offers a look of confusion.

"To help pass the time," He scratches at the back of his neck. "I thought it might be useful. There's a lot to see out here, you know. Might be nice to have something to help remember it," Jerry hums quietly, trying to read his daughter's reaction.

"Thanks, Dad," Abby reaches to hug him, and he squeezes her shoulders. She sighs heavily in his arms. Not what she expected, but she appreciated it all the same.

"Just a few more weeks?" she prompts quietly after a long pause.

"Just a few more weeks," Jerry assures her and pulls away. "Until the end of the season. Then we're going home. I promise."

Abby buries his face into his shoulder. Never, ever, did she think she would miss Salt Lake City.

She had found herself mostly alone in the weeks since their arrival, resorting to finding new means of entertainment. She had exhausted the library, itching to explore the surrounding area. Jerry had been stricter on supervision than Abby had anticipated, beckoning her to keep close and remain supervised outside.

Someone clears their throat, and Jerry looks up to see a man in Firefly attire watching them from the yard.

"Dr. Anderson, sorry to interrupt, but - " He tilts his head in greeting to Abby, who offers him a small wave. He turns his full attention to her father.

"- Matthew is awake," He lowers his voice, intending to spare Abby the gory details. She drops her eyes, pretending to mind the dogs.

Jerry's eyes widen, and he abruptly stands.

"How long?"

"Not long. The bite looks good.”

Jerry touches his chin before whipping around to face Abby. The look of disappointment on her face abases his excitement. She looks away, knowing full well he's being beckoned back to work.

"I'm sorry. I'll meet you in a bit, alright?" He pats her firmly on the shoulder.

Abby crosses her arms. "Yeah, okay. I'll be around," she murmurs, tucking her birthday present into the back pocket of her pants.

"Hey," He places his hand on her head and shakes his head.

"Tell you what...I had a surprise I was going to save for later, but -"

"What?" she prods incredulously, her curiosity heightened.

"Your second gift," he chuckles. "Go to my room...bottom-left drawer of my desk. Has your name written all over it."

Her expression lightens.

"I literally wrote your name on it-"

"Got it!" Abby manages to conjure a faux grin, tailing her father as he exits the kennel. She notices the dog's stay quiet, save for a soft whimper as the two of them leave.

"Bye!" Abby waves behind her, leaving Jerry to accompany the Firefly back to the medical bay. He shakes his head, and the recruit offers him a sympathetic glance.

She quickly scales the hill back to the lodge and trots up the steps to reach the deck. She slips past another Firefly manning the entrance. His eyes raise from the battered book in his hands to see Abby sprinting into the hall, stripping her muddied boots without missing a boot.

He says nothing and instead flips a page to continue his endeavor for the evening.

Abby had initially found the lodge intimidating; it's many stairways and extensive layout had presented itself as a challenge. Inhabited by dozens of Fireflies - the bright minds of soldiers and researchers alike - she had been assured it was safe. And so far, her father had proven to be right. Since her arrival, not a single bumbling infected had wandered into the encampment. Not so much as a spotting. Those stationed here seemed relaxed on duty - much more than her familiars in Salt Lake City.

Slowly, over the course of the month, she had adjusted herself. She found herself moving comfortably. It felt safe here, even under many watchful eyes. Her father had answered the call of the Fireflies yet again, ushered here by whispers of a possible cure deep in the mountains of Montana. He had been stringent in keeping his lips sealed on the matter, only promising to tell her more when it was safe to do so. To her, it didn't matter much what their intentions were, as long as he was nearby.

Abby hums as she bursts into the lodge and removes her shoes before zipping into the den. It was startling tranquil. Relieved, she hurries to the library. It was nice to move freely inside without being questioned about her trajectory or being chastised for sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

She approaches the desk in the center of the room and plops into a leather executive chair. She spins in it and rubs at the patched arms. Her feet dangle just above the floor, and she feels mighty sitting at her father's place. Abby imitates his studious posture and spins a small, peeling globe on the desk. Texts describing local flora and fauna, along with various medical tomes, clutter the surface. Abby lifts a radiograph to peek at a stack of notes, taking an interest in a spread of descriptive texts and illustrations of honeybees and other native bee species. Jars of honey line the desk with messy, scribbled notes attached to each. She frowns as she reaches to touch one, displeased to find it was sticky.

Before anyone can question why she's prying in the research study, she dives into the specified drawer for her present. As promised, a poorly wrapped gift sits in the bottom with her name messily written on the top. "Happy 13th" was scrawled in the center, and she smiles at the poorly drawn balloons around it. Abby pulls it out and tears through the repurposed newsprint to reveal a small artifact, roughly the size of her palm. A coin shines back at her from an acrylic display case, and her eyes sparkle as she holds it up to the light. Her eyes glisten as she notes a misprint on the coin’s surface.

"No way, "Abby whispers.

She smiles before standing to retreat with her spoils. This one would go in the front of her collection.

Abby slips back into the hallway, feeling somewhat disappointed to spend the afternoon alone. She stands in the threshold of her adopted bedroom, staring morosely at the coin in her hands. With little hesitation, she walks over to the bed and stuffs the gifted journal under her mattress for safekeeping. Why did he think I would use this? Sitting on the edge of her mattress, she tightens her bootlaces, wondering if one of the recruits would let her get ahold of a fishing pole to take down to the pond.

Dad swears there's nothing to catch. I'd love to see the look on his face if I did–

A heavy door scrapes open, drawing Abby's attention. Her curiosity heightens at the sound of excited chatter as a pair of Fireflies pass her room.

"-seems fucking nuts, man. I don’t know. He could be lying,"

"Well, if the Queen is on her way…then it must be something worth visiting for," The other mutters incredulously. “They better get it together. She’ll want results.”

Abby strains her ears to try to catch the details of the conversation. Quietly, she stalks to the doorway and peeks around the trim to have a look.

"She can smell bullshit a mile away. I’m not saying he’s lying. But if it’s true-"

"Queen?" Abby asks curiously, her eyes darting between the two.

Startled to see her, both recruits offer each other a nervous glance that they had been overheard. One clears his throat, and his voice softens.

"Well, our Queen Firefly, of course. Marlene."

* * *

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

_Why did I make us come back to this place?_

Abby slows her pace to catch her breath. Despite the cold air, a sheen of sweat christens her forehead. Hiking with both Lev’s and her own water-logged packs hadn't been easy on the ascent to reach the highway.

She had decided it advantageous to simply cut through the thick trees, and barrel towards the gunfire. Abby stands for a long while, hands on her hips, in the middle of the pavement.

A faded, green road sign tilts to taunt her, barely visible from a tower of weeds.

_Strayhill. Next right._

_This is it._

Abby turns to investigate a rustling in the grass. She meets the dull gaze of a dog, the same creature that had startled her in the night. It gawks, panting with blood-stained jowls. There was something nostalgic about its rough, scarred appearance. It had much less pointed features than those fostered by the WLF, instead fit with loose skin and long, floppy ears. Its thick hide failed to cover a pair of protruding hips on its backside. It was far less intimidating by daylight.

"What is it?" she mutters tiredly under her breath. _You've already had breakfast._ She grimly recalls the cadavers littered in the forest.

Abby readies her pistol to err on the side of caution, and the mutt cocks its head at the sound. It wags its lowered tail.

"C'mon...don't look at me like that,"

It whines in response, and she risks turning her back on it. Her eyes flicker to focus on the bones of a convenience store at the road's bend.

"I'm the last person you want to follow," Abby takes a long drink from her canteen to sate her dry mouth.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Here, have some."

Lev raises his head slowly to see Ellie's outstretched hand. She wipes her mouth roughly with a sleeve.

"Thanks," He hesitantly takes her offered canteen.

He pauses as his boots meet rough gravel, crunching loudly beneath them as they walk. It had been an eerily quiet journey since the cesspool's discovery. The stretch - not more than a mile or so - felt like an eternity. The boy presses the bottle to his lips and takes a long drink.

His heart was heavy. Desperately, he wanted to believe that Abby would be waiting for them. Yet, there was no evidence along the way so far to suggest anyone had made it past the thicket of corpses. He fiddles with the zipper of his coat, stepping over the faint tracks of a small animal. A finger runs across the embroidered WLF symbol on the chest. He notes a few threads had broken loose.

A shadow of grief cloaks Ellie as she trudges along, minding her shoes as they walk. She focuses on a hole forming against a rubber sole. The weight of Tommy's hunting rifle threatens to break her back, and a resurgence of anger simmers in her stomach.

_Where do I go from here?_

She frowns as she allows herself to drown in her journey's failures. Ellie imagines trekking home to Jackson and the poor reception she's convinced she'll receive upon her return. She thinks of inevitable resentment on Dina’s face.

_I didn't even give her a proper goodbye._

She swallows sickly.

_The things I said to Jesse. I may as well have spat in his face –_

  
_Just for Tommy to wind up dead._

  
_What the fuck is wrong with you, Ellie?_

"Ellie..." Lev starts quietly.

She seemed so focused on the route ahead, he was nervous about disturbing their silence.

"What's up?" She clears her throat and glances over her shoulder. The two slow to a stop, and Lev searches her painfully numb expression. Her eyes and cheeks were still red from crying.

"I need to tell you something,” He runs a hand through his hair nervously.

Her breath stills for a second. She nods, urging him to continue.

"What is it?"

“My sister- " He scratches idly at the back of his head, staring off into the trees. "-she's not really my sister. Not my _real one_ , anyway."

For a moment, Ellie says nothing, her gaze wandering to look at the surrounding forest. He holds his breath with a narrowed expression, awaiting the inevitable. To his surprise, she shrugs.

"I mean... Tommy's not related by blood," Her shoes scrape against the graveled path, and Lev bites his lower lip. " _But he's still family_. You love her, right? Your sister?" She tilts her head in earnest.

Lev is stunned by the question.

"Well, yeah."

  
Ellie nods in understanding.

  
" _Then it kind of doesn't matter._ I uh, appreciate the transparency, though. For what it's worth. We’re good,” She offers a faint smile and turns away.

He blinks, watching her carry on for a few paces before moving to catch up.

  
"Right. Okay," _Transparency._ Lev clears his throat.

  
He dwells on their conversation for a while as they walk. Her response provides his conscience some relief. Lev observes the sunlight shining vaguely through the thick canopy of needles. Bright orange leaves had quickly changed to various shades of yellow and dark amber as fall transposed into winter.

  
"It's beautiful out here," Ellie murmurs under her breath. Her tone didn't suggest she truly felt the sentiment. "Didn't imagine I would ever step foot in a Seraphite stomping ground again," she continues, sensing the boy's anxiety,"-abandoned or otherwise."

  
Ellie had noticed it as well; the path before them lay mostly undisturbed. She had all ideas that when they reached the lodge, they would be alone.

  
"It's not a Seraphite stomping ground," Lev says simply, and Ellie raises a brow.

  
"Oh. Then what is it?" Ellie questions, mystified. For a moment, she's concerned she struck a nerve. From her understanding, Scars lived insularly.

  
Lev lowers his head thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure yet."

  
Ellie bites her tongue, wrestling to contain the many queries she had. She didn't think either of them had the energy for an interrogation, but his restraint made her suspicious. She turns away, choosing not to take his chasteness personally. The two climb slowly along the graveled path, careful not to trip over a tangle of exposed roots. It was apparent that the road hadn't been used in some time.

Lev's breath catches as they round a sweeping corner, and the angular shape of a roof comes into view. Ellie pauses to survey the lodge's outline, her eyes widening in surprise.

Lev halts behind her, his eyes flickering around for any signs of life.

It was more impressive than she imagined.

" _Holy shit._.." Ellie murmurs under her breath. "It's massive."

"Yeah...yeah, it is," Lev answers, nearly breathless, and takes a few slow paces forward, studying the lifeless building. Abby's vague stories and descriptions had heightened his expectations, but he hadn't anticipated this. He’s struck by wetness brimming in his eyes.

Ellie moves awkwardly to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey. If she's not inside, she'll show up, yeah?" She offers him a squeeze, hoping her skepticism isn't evident.

He pulls away from her and begins to slight ascent up the lodge's drive. His breath deepens as he looks back and forth between the two most notable entrances. He recalls the crash of cable-car as it struck the water. _Could she really survive that?_ He hopes he's not deluding himself.

"Let's lay low for now. We still need to sweep the place," Ellie tries to keep her voice down as they approach, on the off-chance they are not alone.

Swallowed by the structure's presence, Ellie stands in the middle of the yard to absorb the sight. A steep, slated roof looms over her in the tree canopy. The lodge’s dark walls blend effortlessly into the pines, hugged by a high deck on all sides. Wooden stairs ascend to the front porch, and a gilded maple door overlooks them as they stand in the bricked courtyard. Ivy, left unbridled to its own devices, embraces viciously from the edge of the forest. A single, great window remains uncovered on the residence, resting high on a suspected second floor. Cloaked in a veil of thick evergreens, Ellie could see why its presence might go undetected from the highway.

Ellie inspects the exterior of the sprawling building. She's taken immediately by its hardiness. It seemed to be in less disrepair than most facilities of the same age, preserved in some form or fashion within the last decade. 

The pair approach, walking through a pair of gate posts. Ellie peers up to see a deer skull attached firm to the overhanging beam. A mangled gate lies off the beaten path in a nearby ditch.

It's not until they move closer that Ellie realizes the lodge sits close to a pond, it's edge shimmering with ice. She whistles.

  
“Wow. I guess I would want to shack up here too,” Ellie offers quietly. Lev smiles, following as they reach the stairs.

Ellie’s face screws together as she sees the pieces of a long-dead corpse strewn about the courtyard. Only remnants of clothes clued her in that it was a person at all. Something had taken the liberty to scatter the body, probably after a meal.

Another cargo truck sat abandoned in the yard, tilted pitifully to face them. _Probably not a bad idea to scout this place for supplies before I leave._ She notes that grounds look pitifully undisturbed.

Ellie reaches for her pistol and thrusts it towards Lev. He’s surprised but reaches to accept it.

"That bow won't do you much good inside," She tucks a lock of loose hair behind her ears. "Only a couple of bullets left. But just in case…”

“Thanks,” He replies softly, measuring the weight of the revolver in his hands.

“Sure _._ Ready?”

Lev nods emphatically. Ellie leads them up the wooden stairs, ducking beneath a set of damaged windchimes. The deck wrapped around almost the building's entire expanse and offered a brilliant vantage point of the path and sloping forest. Painted flowerpots filled with the stemmy remnants of dead flowers surround the maple door, and chains supporting a nearby porch swing squeak in the wind. A repurposed smoker, along with a series of chairs, lined the deck. he could only assume that the last residents to dwell here comprised a large group of people.

It made little sense why a Firefly compound would be stationed out in the middle of Montana. Ellie peers through a smoky glass panel to be met with sheer darkness from within the lodge.

“Feels like the Big, Bad, Wolf is going to answer –“ Ellie admires a whimsical honeybee doorknocker affixed to the entrance and glances at Lev.

“Ever read that one? No?“ _Nevermind._

Ellie is shocked to find the door unlocked. She presses it open with a squeal and strains her ears to listen to any signs of activity.

_Please, please, don’t let anything be slinking around in here –_

She steps inside and flicks on her light, illuminating the entryway. It appeared to be a utility room of some sort, highlighted by a series of coat hooks. Most were still adorned with coats, along with several gas masks.

Ellie glances over her shoulder to check on Lev, who was inspecting a garish bass hung above a large washbasin.

She turns back, breaking through the entryway into a large, central living area. She’s greeted right away by the sight of trophy kills lining the walls. Glistening, marbleized eyes of various head-mounts bore down to welcome her. Her eyes are drawn away to an enormous fireplace surrounded by an ornately carved mantle. She pauses hearthside for a moment to study the most prominent embellishment in the room – the mount of a moose posed proudly above them. It was eerie in the dark, but Ellie imagined that it would be rather cozy with a little firelight.

The air was thick as if a draft hadn’t slithered in in quite some time. Dark curtains were tacked purposely across the windows. It seemed the former tenants had little use for sunshine.

“In case you weren’t sure we're in a hunting lodge, “ she mumbles sardonically, illuminating a series of vintage firearms affixed for display. A range of antiques had been left deserted from long before the outbreak. It seemed the former inhabitants had little desire to alter the original décor.

Lev offers a forced chuckle, and Ellie bites her lip, sensing his deflation. If Yara intended to find him here, they had beaten her to the punch.

“But I like it. It’s cozy, “ Ellie reaches to touch the back of a leather sofa. She almost chooses to sit in but decides to plop in a nearby armchair instead. She crosses her legs, imagining what it would be like to relax in here by an open fire. If only I had a pipe and a robe…

“It’s awesome, Lev. Could do with _fewer critters_ , but overall…” she clears her throat.

Lev uses the back of a hand to wipe his eyes.

“I thought she was exaggerating.” He shrugs his shoulders and gestures around them at the oddities and expansiveness of the residence. Ellie smiles weakly.

_Ugh, this is really sad._

As the pair study the foyer, Ellie can’t help but wonder what Lev intended to do should Yara never arrive. Should she take it upon herself to wait until she did? She wondered when it might be appropriate to offer him to come with her to Jackson.

_Perhaps I should wait a bit to mention it._

She was still numb from the brutal realization that Tommy was gone. At worst, he was injured somewhere in the forest. Dread pools in her stomach at the thought of her long journey home. Ellie sighs, her eyes drawn to a worn rug that ran to a large set of bay doors. A pair of thick, accented windows covered nearly the entire length. Through a smoky panel, she’s able to see the semblance of bookshelves and tables.

“Looks like a library… a little something to keep you busy,” Ellie whispers, checking for movement inside. She turns away to look at Lev, who’s sitting despondently on a hearthside coffee table. Sunlight from the open door offered her a better look into a large open kitchen across the den, and she runs her hand across the railing of a narrow, spiraling staircase to an overhanging loft.

“I’m going to take a look around, yeah?”

“Yeah, “ He blinks absently. “Okay.”

Ellie slips down the hall. It’s hauntingly quiet, and her heart pounds at the possibility of a stalker predating the shadows. Through the dust, she illuminates a series of open bedroom doors. She prowls into each room, discovering they had their own charm, and the beds were still neatly made. Every window had been covered in some fashion, tacked neatly as not to leak any semblance of light.

The two survey the bedrooms, taking care to ensure that no infected had been left to fester. Ellie reaches to yank open a drab pair of curtains. Sunlight floods the room and pours into the hallway, making it easier for Lev to sweep on his own without the aid of her flashlight. He does the same in the room across the hall. What a niche aesthetic, Ellie thinks. The wood-paneled walls and cabin décor were pleasantly... _quaint._

Ellie reaches to open it, her hand pausing on the handle. A chill runs up her spine.

Lev lingers behind her as it opens, revealing a steep stairway enveloped in darkness. An unfitted security door bar latch did little to ease her discomfort.

“Never been a fan of basements," he lingers behind her, readying his weapon.

“Me either,“ Ellie whispers, moving to descend. She slows to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, rifle raised, pleased to see daylight streaming from alone bulkhead door. Lev lowers his gun.

Rows of bunks line the basement's concrete walls, most still neatly made. Others still had personal belongings tucked beneath the bottom bunk for safekeeping.

Most notedly, the far side of the room was reserved for storage, piled high to the ceiling with boxes and plastic barrels. Her flashlight reveals some of the jars gleaming back at her, filled with a shimmering, amber substance. Further inspection reveals it to be a copious amount of honey. She walks over to study the shelves, peaking into an uncovered barrel of dry goods. A stamp on the side indicated it originated from a Fedra supply chain.

A reserve of Fireflies could have easily slept here. Ellie looks around at the available accommodations – from a kitchen nook to a peculiar set of gym equipment. She gingerly steps over a free weight in the center of the floor. It reminded her bleakly of the military institutions where she was schooled as a child.

“This place was important,” Ellie speculates quietly, relieved to find no evidence of spores. She relaxes and lowers her weapon to point at the concrete beneath them. Each room they investigated only drug up more questions. Lev watches her, leaning glumly over the stairwell. She returns to him and shakes her head in disbelief.

“Yara…she never mentioned the Fireflies to you?” Ellie asks leerily.

“No,” He lies. “Only that it was safe,” His response is mutable, and Ellie raises a brow. She closes the basement door slowly behind them and pauses to ponder his answer. _Something was off._ There’s no way this was all coincidence. Ellie reviews the little information she knew about the site, trying to find the truth between the lines. There was evident Firefly activity at some point in recent years, but to why and what extent? Rationalizing FEDRA cargo was another matter on its own. Even more pressing was the question of how a Seraphite would know of a place inhabited by them out West. Ellie couldn’t help but conclude she was missing a critical piece of information, and her gut was screaming that Lev knew more than he let on.

_What are you hiding?_

She observes him as the pair return to the foyer to gather their thoughts in peace. There was a lot to be sorted – but of all places – this was surely a treasure trove to the needy traveller. She would be sure to take a closer look before departing back to Wyoming.

Lev sighs and plops on a leather couch, staring solemnly at his intertwined fingers. Ellie sits across from him and allows herself to sink into the cushions. It felt good to rest her legs for a while.

Carrying her own grief, it was hard to culminate any endearing words of motivation. Instead, she reaches to pick up a pack of cards sitting on the coffee-table and shakes them idly.

“You play cards?” Ellie prods.

Lev shrugs. “I know a couple of games, but I’m not very good.” Lev smiles wistfully.

“Good. Do you know how to play speed?”

Lev shakes his head no. Ellie cuts the deck with her hands and shuffles the card on the table.

“Maybe I can show you how later. It’ll give us something to do until Yara shows up,” Ellie hums, and Lev’s lips twist into a soft smile.

Ellie’s stomach rumbles, finding it difficult not to dwell on the goods in the basement. Who knows how long it had been sitting -but surely something was edible without needing to forage. It was worth another look before she took it upon herself to find some small game nearby.

“We should eat something before we start really digging around in here.”

Ellie's thought is interrupted by the sound of windchimes. Her head whips to listen to the distinct sound of heavy footsteps approaching the front door.

The ringing of windchimes has the pair on their feet.

“Hey – !” Ellie tries and fails to snag him by the arm as he darts away. She clicks her tongue in annoyance.

Lev holds his breath, nearly slipping during his race to greet the sound.

_It has to be her._

He uses a corner to make a sharp right into the utility room. Ellie is on his trail, finding it impossible to keep up with him. She nearly trips over the corner of a rug but catches herself on a sturdy console table. _Shit!_

Before she can plea him to stop, he disappears through the open front door. Ellie rights herself to catch up with him.

Perhaps it was her eyes adjusting to the light – or the lack of food or sleep, but a phantom stands plainly on the porch.

“Abby - !” Lev exclaims, flinging himself into the woman’s arms. She braces herself in the doorframe and throws her arms around him to offer him a squeeze.

_Have I lost my mind?_

Ellie freezes in disbelief.

_I’m seeing things again -_

“Who’s with you?” Abby whispers urgently, gripping his shoulders to command his full attention. Her consternation wipes the smile from his beaming face.

“It’s fine –“ Lev sputters. “She’s good. She helped me find this place,” He looks enthusiastically behind him at the other woman and turns to gesture towards her. Abby’s eyes widen.

“-This is Ellie.”

Ellie feels her knees grow weak under her weight.

Lev mouths a question to her, but she can’t make it out the words. His lips move to relay something to her. She's dizzy, and the pound of her heartbeat rings against her eardrums.

“What’s wrong?” He offers thoughtfully. Perplexed, he looks between the two. Animosity stings electrically in the air. Lev can’t quite grasp the fear in Ellie's face, a stark contrast to his immense relief.

“ _Get behind me_ \- !” Abby raises her pistol and lines Ellie within her sights.

“Wait -” he starts, raising his hands to calm her. His voice wavers.

“Move - !” Abby pleads, pained at his look of pitiful confusion. He doesn’t budge, positioning himself in front of Ellie and Abby’s line of fire.

Ellie fumbles for Tommy’s rifle strapped to her back, finding regret in offering Lev her pistol. Abby attempts to raise her pistol, but Lev jumps between the two, eyes darting wildly in panic.

Abby sneers, forced to lower her gun, fearful of making a clear shot.

  
Ellie gives Lev a hard push and raises her rifle.

  
“ _Stop_!” He screams, grappling the barrel of the gun. He pushes it upright to the ceiling, and Ellie cries out in frustration. In the tussle, her finger squeezes the trigger.

  
A loud blast rings around them at the discharge, startling Lev and Ellie away from one another. Another shot rings out, and a second bullet strikes the regal mount above the mantle. The first hits the ceiling, and flecks of debris rain onto the hardwood around them. Ellie quickly regains her balance and aims at Abby to put her to rest. The rifle only offers a miserable click, and dreadfully, she’s aware the chamber is empty. She flings the weapon to the floor, and Lev is forced to watch helplessly as Abby rushes the smaller woman.

“ _Shit-_!” Ellie stumbles back into the living room and plucks a shiv from her pocket. She swings to strike the other woman in the throat, but Abby is swift, and a quick hand snatches her assailing wrist. A vicious twist makes Ellie cry out. She’s uses every iota of her strength to clench the handle of the blade -

She bares her teeth in frustration, her eyes boring into Abby’s. She’s only a few inches away, so close –

A cold chill zaps up Ellie's spine at the fury and the ease in the other woman’s face. The weapon is wrenched from her hands, thrown behind her to clatter to the floor. Through their struggle, Ellie bumps into a side table, sending a lamp to shatter into pieces.

_She’s so strong - !_

Ellie lashes out desperately to strike and lands a blow on the other woman’s cheek. The punch does little to phase Abby, her face blank, focused.

“Fuck _you,_ “ Ellie growls as she sees an arm coil backward to swing. She throws up a forearm to shield her face, but it does little to dampen the blow. A fist collides with her cheek, and she staggers backward. Abby seizes the opportunity and violently tackles her onto the ground.

The back of Ellie’s skull smacks the brick hearthstone, and a wail rises from her chest. An agonizing pain radiates from her side.

“ _No,_ “ She whimpers through bloodied teeth. Trembling fingers touch a flooding warmth under her coat. Her vision blurs as she raises a hand to see it’s covered in blood. Beneath her, she feels the awful sensation of crunching glass and ceramic biting into her flesh.

  
Ellie cries out in vain as the weight of Abby’s knee weight presses against her chest.

  
“ _You_ \- ” Abby growls, using her mass to her advantage. She touches her own reddened cheek where the other woman managed to hit her. “You shouldn’t have come here,” Abby hisses to her, shoving her pistol in her face. She adjusts to press her knee on the smaller woman’s neck, and Ellie gasps, losing her breath –

  
The hand holding the pistol trembles under Ellie’s chin, and Abby’s jabs further into her throat.

  
“You followed me? All this way - _all this way,_ just for this?” Abby leans close to her, meeting her eyes. 

  
Furiously, Ellie’s eyes glare at her with an expression that makes her feel as if she’s looking in a mirror.

  
“- _took everything_ -” Ellie wheezes through a strangled breath. Blood rushes from her nose and pools at her clavicle. She coughs for air, struggling to capture a gulp of air.

  
_You took everything!_

Tears squeeze from the corner of her eyes, streaking her dirtied cheeks.

  
The pinned woman doesn’t have the breath to answer, and Ellie’s hands reach desperately to grasp the collar of Abby’s coat. She grips her furiously in a fruitless attempt to push her away.

“- _kill you_ –“ Ellie gasps, barely able to make out Abby’s form above her. Highlighted by sunlight, she feels blinded – and within moments, the light seems to envelop her as well.

_I’m going to kill you._

Ellie kicks at the smooth floor beneath her, striving to wriggle free from beneath Abby’s weight. She begins to fear she might choke as a deluge of blood pours from her nose to pool around her neck.

Abby feels a sharp tug at her clothes and looks over her shoulder, wide-eyed and frenzied.

It’s only now that she realizes that Lev is screaming at her.

She blinks.

“ - _Please, stop!_ ” Lev’s cries distraughtly. His face is wet with tears. The panic in his eyes forces the air out of her lungs.

“Abby, please!” He struggles to take a breath and yanks at her arm to get off the other woman. Abby takes a moment, her chest heaving from exertion.

The familiar plea makes her feel ill.

“What did she tell you?“ She asks breathlessly, reaching to clasp his arm. “What did she do to you?“ Her heart pounds in terror, growing cold at the realization they had been discovered by someone who undoubtedly wanted to see her dead.

“ _She saved me!_ ” He screams, and she’s startled into silence by his fury. She had never seen that fierceness directed towards her, and she’s struck momentarily into silence. Abby looks at the woman struggling beneath her. Ellie wheezes pathetically, her eyes squeezed shut and running with water.

Abby’s nose wrinkles in disgust, and in an instant, she’s up on her feet.

Ellie heaves as she sucks in a deep breath, and rolls onto her uninjured side. She’s so tired, and she desperately just wants to close her eyes.

Lev wipes his nose and scrambles to slide next to Ellie.

Abby moves to kneel next to the hearth, feeling dizzy from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

Lev runs to rip a sheet from a pair of windows. Light floods the room, and it’s only now that Abby can fully see the smears of blood trailing between her and the other woman.

_What the fuck just happened?_

“We have to help her –“ Lev stammers, leaning over Ellie’s unconscious form. Abby fumbles to make sense of the scene. What should have been a joyous reunion had been decidedly ruined. Her eyes wander to the dark patch of blood on the girl’s shirt. The broken lamp shard responsible lies nearly beneath her, and her stomach sinks.

_She’s struck her head._

“Ellie…?” Lev touches her face, coaxing her to look at him. “Ellie, can you hear me?”

She’s unresponsive, and he turns to Abby desperately with an expression that tears her to pieces.

“Lev, she knows where we are. She’ll come back for us –“

He ignores her, frantically reaching to open Ellie’s coat. To his dismay, he sees her overshirt soaked with blood. She had landed on the broken base of the lamp –

 _Not good_. Abby looks at the laceration with hesitation.

“We have to do something,” He says urgently, wiping his eyes. “Is she going to die? Can we help her?”

Abby is frozen for a moment before opening her mouth to respond.

“I’m done hurting people, Abby. You said we were done hurting people -,” Lev whispers angrily, sensing her hesitation.

“Why is she here? What does she want with you?”

His expectant stare pains her, and a wave of nausea washes over her.

“Lev, it’s a long story-“

_“Abby, what did you do?”_

The confusion in his face pains her.

“I’ll tell you everything, okay?” Abby manages after a moment, finding the resolve to stand. “Just not now…we need to move her –“

Lev’s determinate glare softens.

“Move,” She murmurs to him step aside. Carefully, she leans down and tugs at the fabric of Ellie’s shirt to reveal a long laceration on her flank beneath her ribs. Not good, she thinks, watching her shallow breathing. A thick, jagged piece of bloodied ceramic lies innocuously beneath her, and she nudges it away to safely slide Ellie upright. With a bit of effort, Abby lifts her up into her arms and wordlessly carries her into the closest bedroom.

Carefully, she lowers Ellie onto the mattress and looks down at her stained hands. She hurries past Lev to fetch her pack, then bolts down the hall toward the basement door. She hoped for Lev’s sake that something of use was left behind -

_This place is a lot fucking smaller than I remember._

“There’s a water pump out back,” Abby breathes as she descends into the basement, Lev on her heels. Her flashlight illuminates the supply wall, and she races over to search for anything of use. “We need clean water – “

“Do we still have our med kit?”

“We’re going to need more than just a needle and sutures,“ Abby mumbles, scouring the boxes left behind.

  
Just spoiled goods, dehydrated food, sticky batteries… Abby scoops a bucket from the floor and thrusts it into Lev’s arms. Her mind races with options, remember the tipped FEDRA cargo truck. A disaster response agency vehicle might have something left to clean the wound…

Before she can suggest they check, she’s struck by an idea. Her head lifts to look at a small door located under the stairs.

_It has to still be here._

Abby races over to slip inside, breathing a sigh of relief as the unlocked door opens for her. The hair on the back of her neck raises as she illuminates a narrow hallway. Lev approaches her from behind, bucket in hand. She illuminates a steel door barricading the end of the passageway, along with a series of padlocks at its feet.

“What's in there?” Lev prods nervously behind her, a bucket in his hands. Abby ignores him and unholsters her pistol.

Abby throws it open to reveal a blindingly reflective surgical room. Stainless steel surfaces shimmer back at them. In the center, a surgical table sits morbidly. Leather binding straps dangle from the sides and at the end. Lev swallows, watching as Abby leaps into action to scour a row of drawers attached to a stained utility sink.

“What..?”

Abby says nothing, growing frustrated as each drawer turns up empty. She kneels, digging through the cupboards. _Yes!_ A rolled field kit had been abandoned, along with a series of surgical instruments she didn’t quite recognize. She stands and brushes past him, snatching the bucket from him.

“Best they could do all the way out here –“ Abby mutters. “- it's for infected patients.”

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Lev is silent for a long time.

“…that’s a lot,” He breathes after a while.

Abby stares solemnly at the moose mount, raised high over the fire’s mantle. It was skewed and featured a fresh gunshot wound to the cheek.

“I know,” Her eyes are puffy with exhaustion as she rests in front of the fire. She leans forwards in an ornate lounge chair drawn close to a crackling fire. A pot of water cools by the fire, and slowly, Abby rewashes her hands. Perhaps with another scrub, she wouldn’t feel so filthy.

“- the man you killed-“

“Joel,” Abby interjects quietly as she washes her face. “-his name was Joel Miller,” She details the truth as promised.

“- you found him after what he did, and now she’s after you–“ He stops to exhale a breath from his cheeks, and his head spins. “And Ellie, she was actually bitten…?”

“Far as I know,” She wipes her face dry, refusing to look at him. Abby thinks of the tattoo etched into Ellie’s arm. The other woman had been clever to hide it.

Waning daylight had lowered the temperature inside, and Abby was keen to sit next to the fire. He holds the gifted WLF coat in his hands, studying the fabric. He plucks away a loose thread in the patched wolf. His fingers rove to scrutinize its fraying edges.

“William Thomas,” He whispers quietly, reading the name scribed on a silky white tab stitched into the inner collar. Abby raises her head in interest.

“Hm?”

“The matchbox…” He lowers the coat and wanders to sit on the corner of a coffee table, beside Abby. It dawns on him that the initials matched and that the article belonged to the same body from where he lifted the penny.

He watches as she scrubs the blood from her hands, forearms.

“She was right behind us, this whole time,” He whispers quietly. Now that the chaos had settled, the peace was disquieting between the two.

“I suppose she was,” Abby grumbles.

Lev tosses the jacket onto the back of a leather couch and reaches for a rag to help clean up the gory mess in the den. Smears of red stretched across the floor, coupled with an errant boot print. He lowers himself to the floor and begins to scrub as Abby busies herself with clearing sharp debris. Warily, she picks up the lamp's broken base and the razor-sharp edge responsible for the bloodshed.

Abby sets it aside to toss away later and meticulously begins to clean.

“I’m sorry, Lev. It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” She wrestles with an entirely new problem – she had been found - by someone completely unexpected.

_Where were they to go from here?_

She turns to greet him, and, in an instant, he pulls her in for a hug. She pauses but offers him a firm squeeze in return.

“It’s good to have you back,” Abby offers him a hard squeeze.

He lets go and sits to accompany her by the fire. “I’m so, so sorry -“

“We’ll need to decide what to do with her before she wakes up,” Abby interrupts firmly. She crosses the room to borrow a chair from a nearby writing desk. Lev’s eyebrows furrow at the unpleasant scraping.

“What do you mean?” He asks defensively. Abby jams the back of the borrowed chair under the door handle to Ellie's room. She offers it a tug to ensure it's adequately barred. _This will have to do for now,_ she thinks.

“Lev…” Stress forces her to rub her eyes. “What happens when she goes home and clues everyone in on where we are?” Abby takes a deep breath. Lev stares at her for a moment while the magnitude of the situation settles in.

“…she said she was trying to find a man named Tommy,” Lev whispers suddenly, reminded of the rifle lodged in mud. “She said he was still looking for you, over what happened.”

Abby raises her head, struck by his statement. She clenches her fist, reminded of her struggle with Tommy on the upper deck of the Ferry and the distinct memory of him being plunging into the rough water. She had been sure he had drowned.

“What else did she tell you?”

“Not much...that she just wanted to bring him back home. We found his rifle by the highway,” He clears his throat.

Abby rubs at her chin, a sense of unease growing in her chest. She had been confident that by shaking off the WLF off of their heels, that they were safe.

“I’m going at first light tomorrow to check,” Abby stammers. “I’m not risking waiting around for him to show up.”

Lev stays quiet, and Abby looks into the fire.

“You know I would never hurt you, right?” She asks softly, glancing to read his expression.

“Of course, I know that.” He lowers his head. A spot of blood decorates his boots, no doubt from Ellie’s wounds.

“Abby…I know why you did what you did. I don’t think you’re a bad person,” He lingers to assure her, his fingers digging into the rough fabric of his coat. He thinks of the Wolves that shot his sister, and his grip tightens.“-but I don’t think Ellie is either.”

Abby stays quiet for a long time, her tongue prodding the inside of her cheek.

His statement stings, but she cannot find it in herself to rebuke him. She rests her hands on her hips and turns her back to journey down the hall.

“I’m going to start sorting supplies… I may haul some stuff up we might be able to use," Abby rubs her neck in discomfort and reaches for her backpack. “- see what we have to work with. I’ll be in the basement.” She mumbles.

“Yeah,” Lev answers with a sigh. “Okay,” She moves through the arch out of the foyer and disappears into the hallway.

_He’s not wrong._

Abby strains her eyes in the darkness before clicking on her flashlight. Slowly, she moves past a set of thoughtfully crafted bay doors.

_I did the exact same thing -_

Brass fixtures gleam back at her, and she takes a moment to absorb the pang of nostalgia. She’s reminded of her father and his time spent here. She reaches to wipe a thick layer of dust from a glass pane on the door and peers inside. To her surprise, the door squeals open with little resistance. Abby’s met with the thick smell of old books; a peculiar, not wholly unpleasant smell.

She slips her cold hands inside her jeans and peaks around to ensure she is truly alone. The lodge had proven empty after a thorough sweep, but the many shelves made her question herself. Abby peers around before settling into the silence.

During her brief time here, she had recalled the library being full of journals and textbooks - research materials and otherwise. A large portion had been stripped bare since, though a slim section was left untouched. She's cautious of her boots, careful not to tread on the many books scattered across the floor. A tipped shelf is the only significant disturbance, and she kneels to gather the spilled texts together. After stacking them purposely on a nearby desk, she sighs and admires the cozy ambiance of the dim room. A beautifully bricked fireplace garners her attention, and she’s drawn to admire it further. 

Abby takes a few paces to the room's centerpiece, a large table shrouded in a sheet. She offers it a fierce tug and reveals a grandiose executive table, still covered in instruments and articles of paper. A well-marked map of the area sits in the center, surrounded by a plethora of writing instruments. She runs a hand across a dated medical journal, wondering how old it had been before being lugged into the wilderness and posthumously forgotten.

  
_What a waste._

_I could see myself spending a lot of time in here._

The sound of footsteps distracts her, and she turns to see Lev, lingering in the doorway.

“Hey,” He says softly, peeking his head in. “Sorry… I was wondering if you needed some help bringing things up?”

 _Oh, yeah. Right._ Abby gives the study once lasting glance before turning to join him in the hall.

She gives Lev a pat on the shoulder before brushing past him, and the two walk slowly down the hall to greet a door at the very end. It was substantially different than the rest, complete with a series of locks, left hastily undone. With a bit of brunt force, she manages to press it open to reveal a series of steps disappearing into the darkness.

Undeterred, she shines her flashlight to illuminate their way. Lev trots behind her as they descend.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie groans as a jarring pain in her side foils her attempt to roll over. Faintly, she can hear the even tempo of what sounds like Joel’s grandfather clock. She furrows her brows and slowly opens her eyes, finding herself staring at an unfamiliar, pine ceiling. Everything hurt, and she’s surprised to feel she’s resting on a quilted bed Inside. She sluggishly turns to see a glass of water sitting on a nearby nightstand.

_A glass of water -?_

She tries to shoot upright, but the wound in her side protests. She sinks immediately back on her elbows, suddenly hyper-aware of the weight by her legs.

Abby blinks at her from the end of the bed.

Ellie clenches her jaw and reaches to hold her injured side. She hisses as her fingers snag the pointed stitches. The details of the fight come rushing back to her.

  
Her heart pounds in her chest, and instinctively, she glances toward the closed window – to the door – any means of escape.

“Relax,” Abby tilts her head, her hair and braid notedly neatened since their previous encounter. “You’re going rip them out.” Abby’s tone rings of annoyance and Ellie finds herself infuriated by her mild concern.

“Lev told me you were awake-” In fact, he had raced across the house to tell her so. By the time Abby had made it, Ellie had lulled back to sleep. “-for the third time today.”

Ellie looks down to see she’s fit in only her buttoned shirt. Her bloodied coat was left hanging at the foot of the bed, and her backpack had long since been stripped and tucked away for safekeeping.

Beyond the apparent laceration in her ribs, her skull ached from falling into the hearth.

Ellie narrows her eyes. Much to her chagrin, Abby seemed mostly unscathed, save for a plum-colored welt on her left cheekbone.

“If you’re going to kill me…just do it now and get it over with,” Ellie rouses to sit, trembling with the effort.

 _What a hauntingly familiar sentiment,_ Abby can’t help but think. She huffs and offers her a skeptical stare.

There’s a long pause between the two, and Ellie finds an unsettling soft look on the other woman’s face. She looked… _sympathetic? Guilty?_ Ellie was not sure, but it disturbed her.

“Thank you,” Abby hoarsely clears her throat and crosses her arms, her eyes darting to look through the uncovered window. Daylight was waning. The day had been arduous, and Abby was ready to put it to rest.

Ellie is slack-jawed for a moment as she struggles to find a response. _You tried to fucking kill me -_

“What?” she finally chokes in fuming disbelief.

“Lev told me what you did for him. Also- “ The bed squeaks under Abby’s shifting weight as she huffs to raise herself from the mattress. She was beginning to pine for the comfortable warmth of the main room, which reminded her to pluck a few more blankets from the basement. “- I spent an hour stitching you up. Why would I kill you now?” Abby hides a smirk.

Ellie winces, bewildered. She opens her mouth to speak, but words escape her entirely, blindly furious over the other woman’s apparent lapse in memory of their enmity.

“I’m sorry for the way things worked out for you. But you really, really shouldn’t have come here. You’re leaving as soon as you can walk.”

Ellie looks up at her sudden shift in tone. _Oh, there it is_. Ellie wishes she had the strength – and a blade – to wedge into her throat.

“You’re going straight back to Wyoming, without looking back,” Abby turns to look at her, and Ellie feels her chest tighten. “Just so we’re clear, I’ll bury you if you try anything while you’re in my house,” Abby looks more imposing than ever. “Got it?”

Ellie’s eyes pierce her, but she agrees feebly none-the-less. The stitched fabric of the bed quilt twists in her tightened fists.

Fuck you. If I weren’t so weak… Ellie clenches her draw, losing train of thought... _I’d what?_

_Get my ass beat again?_

“Where are my things?” Ellie’s mutters, ignoring her question. Her hand wanders to rest on the patched wound under her ribs, atop a thick layer of affixed gauze. It stung like hell, and each time she moved, the motion tugged on the suspected stitching.

“I asked if you understood-“

“I heard you the first time. _Whatever,_ sure, I get it. Where’s my shit?” Ellie repeats coldly.

Abby narrows her eyes in displeasure at her answer.

“It’s safe. I’m holding onto it for now. Hope you understand.” She saunters to exit, chafed by the other woman’s attitude. _I could’ve let you die, for the second time._

Abby’s hand lingers on the doorknob. Ellie looks wearier and much thinner, than she remembers. “You really came all the way out here by yourself?” She asks skeptically, her voice softening.

Ellie raises her head, thinking fondly of Dina and Jesse. She’s reminded of the last few months, facing the world on her own.

“Most of the way, yeah,” Ellie mutters.

Abby sucks her teeth and ponders for a moment.

“Mm. Drink some water,” Abby replies brusquely before leaving the room.

Ellie winces, her gaze falling to the patterned quilt clenched in her fists. She squeezes her eyes closed and tries to slow her breathing as panic begins to settle in.

_I’m such an idiot._

She thinks of Lev crawling desperately from the river’s edge, how she really stood there and wagered leaving him.

_Was it worth it?_

She grumbles unintelligibly out of frustration, allowing her head to bounce on the feather pillow beneath her.

_He was looking for Abby…this whole time. This entire fucking time –_

Ellie presses the palm of her hands into her eyelids, overwhelmed by shame. She felt like a stuck pig on a foundering ship. The haplessness of her situation was beginning to sink in, worsened by the ache in her bones.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Abby stands with her back at the bedroom door and crosses her arms. She stares at the ceiling, studying a web of cobwebs resting across a series of rafters. Lev grunts as he lowers a fresh pot of water to swing over the fire and stokes the dying flames.

Abby rubs at the tender spot on her face and winces. Ellie was relatively small but could throw an impressive punch.

_It’s a shame you didn’t stand a chance._

Abby’s consciousness weighs heavy with guilt as she takes a moment to gauge her swollen knuckles.

_You know how she feels. Exactly how she feels._

Abby huffs, watching Lev thoughtfully as he busies himself. She could feel it. For the first time in a long time, she feels a wave of shame wash over her. Looking down at her swollen knuckles, she ponders her culpability in their current situation.

Joel was supposed to be dead along with her contention for him. But here he was, haunting her in a way she didn’t anticipate. Abby sneers and glares at the governing mounts surrounding them, poised in various states of predation. She figured most had been here before the outbreak, evident by thick layers of grime and wood-smoke. They had never particularly bothered her in her youth, but now, they bore down oppressively.

Amber light was dying quickly outside as the day gave way to a dusky sky. The ornate walls – tawdry paintings and filth-laden mounts stared back at her solemnly.

There was a daunting amount of work to do, and yet listening to the crackling warmth of the fire here with Lev’s bustling energy, she reassured things would settle eventually.

“Hungry?” She asks quietly, and Lev glances up at her. The water above the flame begins to simmer inside the swinging metal pot. She saunters over close to pluck a wrapped package from the coffee table, one of many from the basement. A brow raises as she reads the front and flips it over to inspect the back.

“Definitely, but… what is it?”

“Well,” Abby frowns and reads the front. She rips it open to give it a sniff. “It says FEDRA issued creamed chicken and rice, but who actually knows,” Abby shakes the bag of dehydrated powder with little enthusiasm. “This is the kind of garbage that lasts forever. Kind of like the ones we found way back in Preston. It’s about the only thing down there that’s still edible,” Well, hopefully.

“Ugh, okay,“ Lev agrees begrudgingly. If he continued to let the hunger gnaw much longer, he was sure he wouldn’t care what he had to eat anyway. Abby tears one of the packages open and tosses the obligatory heat pack inside, along with a splash of water.

“If you want, we can set some traps tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll catch something,” Distracted, Abby tosses the bag of mysterious slurry to warm on the table. Lev listlessly watches steam hiss from opening in the bag.

“Stay put,” Abby grunts and rises to her feet. “I forgot to get one for the squatter,” She thumbs to Ellie’s bedroom door. “I’ll be right back.”

“Alright-“ Lev waves away the rising steam and tries to peek at the unappetizing mush inside. Abby snickers and heads to the basement.

On the way, Abby pauses in front of the last bedroom on the right. She peers inside with her light. It had been mostly stripped since her stay as a child, she notes sullenly. Finding it difficult to tuck away the nostalgia, Abby descends into the basement. She trots down the stairs and heads over to the messy supply corner.

_I can’t believe I’m doing this._

Abby tosses the extra meal back and forth between her palms. Despite her general distaste for Ellie, sacrificing her pride was worth it if it meant saving herself from disgrace in front of Lev. She could sense his contention while detailing the events that happened in Jackson. It reminded her painfully of her last interaction with Mel. Abby groans thinking about it, and looks around the basement to distract herself.

She frowns as she examines the many bunks. It reminded her subtly of the stadium in Seattle, of discipline and belonging. Truthfully, she would prefer to stay down here. She walks over to a bunk in the far corner, and allows her hand to graze the bar of a weight bench stationed nearby. The bunks were obvious additions to what should have been an uncomfortably open floor plan. A covered pool table sat squashed into the corner, along with what appeared to be a…record player? Wonder when the last time this thing was used. Most importantly, a wood furnace served to keep them warm.

 _I’m sleeping down here tonight,_ Abby decides as she scrutinizes a bottom bunk near the woodstove. She presses down on the thin mattress to test its constitution. Despite the woolen blanket and bleak atmosphere, the basement felt more like home than the first floor's kitschy bedrooms. _This is perfect, for now_. She turns to leave, not wishing to prolong her absence lest her food went cold.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie raises her forearm free from her face, stirred by the sound of a door creaking open. She opens an eye, relieved to see it's only Lev, meekly entering the bedroom.

“Can I come in?”

“Hey,” Ellie croaks, adjusting to the new pressure in her eyes. She nods hesitantly to enter and watches as Lev uses his gloved hands to lift a steaming pot across the threshold. He moves to lower it cautiously next to her bedside. Ellie listens to the crackle of the fireplace from the adjacent room, a little envious of the warmth. Lev moves to sit down on the bed, and the pair share a moment of pause.

“I’m sorry-“ he starts.

  
“You alright?” She asks in unison, disrupting his apology.

  
Lev deflates. It was hard to look at her in this state, not while feeling liable for her injuries.

  
“I’m fine, but what about you?”

  
Ellie shrugs painfully and looks down at her bloodied flannel. “I’m great,” She struggles to sit up. “Never better.”

  
Lev nods, sensing the sarcasm in her voice. He feels guilty for smiling but can’t help it. He uses a thumb to gesture to the steaming pot on the floor.

  
“Here’s the hot bath I promised. And some food, and fresh clothes –“ He offers her a faint smile, and she eyes the hot water and stack of articles. A white bar of soap sits perched on top, accompanied by a series of towels. “It’s probably not what you imagined, but it’s the best I could do until we get running water sorted out.”

  
“Don’t be sorry. You both should open a bed and breakfast-“ Ellie feels remorse as soon as the comment leaves her, but Lev tilts his head.

  
“Should I ask, or…?”

“No. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean it,” she sighs, lowering her feet to the hardwood floor. She delicately prods her swollen temple with her fingers. Exhaustion – coupled with injury – had burdened her more than she realized. “Thank you for the food.”

Lev purses his lips, watching her apparent struggle to sit with a wound in her side.

“Abby…told me about what happened,” he says softly. Ellie pauses but reaches to grab a rough washcloth from the offered stack. Upright, she’s able to see more details of the bedroom. Ellie’s breath hitches at the unrecognizable reflection of herself in a nearby vanity mirror.

_Wow. I look like shit._

“I’m sure she did,” Ellie angles her face, gauging the swelling of her right eye and the deep, purple shiner forming around it. Under different circumstances, she may have been proud of it. She takes a moment to scour the room for her belongings. Her sneakers had been arranged, perfectly aligned next to the bedframe. She looks down at her flannel shirt, at a hole between a row of misaligned buttons. Her face flushes at the realization that she had been redressed. More importantly -

"I'm leaving tomorrow, first thing -" Ellie wrings the blue washcloth of excess water. She touches it slowly to her face, careful of the bright-red welt above her eye and cheekbone.

Lev opens his mouth to speak but decides against it. The limp in her gate and range of mobility made him dubious of her scheduled departure. He tried to imagine the wretchedness of her situation, and his intuition possesses him to tread lightly.

"I did really have a sister named Yara.” Lev reaches to move the stack of clothes and mysteriously packaged foodstuff closer to her, at the foot of the bed.

Ellie turns to look at him, wiping water from her eyes. She stops trying to wipe the blood from her nose, mouth, and chin to listen to him.

"She died a few months ago, right before we left Seattle," He swallows, watching Ellie dip her rag back into the basin of water. The water darkens as she wrings the rag clean.

"Abby risked everything for us. The Wolves want her dead because of it… so we fled, to come here," Lev shakes his head at the recollection of events. The return home, fresh from losing Yara and his mother, had been painfully surreal. It had felt like having the wind knocked out of them upon realizing the boat was missing from the aquarium’s dock. The proposed plan to flee to Santa Barbara had fallen apart instantly. Abby had been too angry to cry as they scrambled to gather any remaining supplies in a desperate attempt to flee before they could be located.

"There is nowhere else. This is it for me. Abby's all I have left."

Ellie stares at the rag in her hands. Listening to the fondness in his voice for Abby contradicted the evil wickedness knew the other woman possessed, aggravating her hatred for the other woman.

_You love her, right?_

She wrinkles her nose, feeling heavily divided.

"Are you going to…” Lev pauses. “-try to kill her again?"

Ellie ruminates on the question.

She thinks of Tommy and his muddied rifle, certain that Abby had it in her somewhere in her possession.

_What does he want me to say to that?_

"What’s she done…Lev, it’s so complicated,“ Ellie whispers, trying to quell her temper. Ellie must remind herself he’s just a kid. I can’t take what she’s done out on him.

She’s silent for a long time; Lev watches her, wondering if his question had been an overreach.

" _I_ …no, no, I’m not,” Ellie wounds herself with her answer. “This is it for me. I'm leaving," She feels sick thinking about it and moves to rest her forehead in her hands. The burden of the journey and constant duress of chasing an impossible trail had hardened and exhausted her. She’s brought back to the many endless nights of worrying and horrific nightmares… only to wind up here, brutalized and bedridden. Her obsession with making sense of Joel’s loss and revenge had miscarried severely, and the stark contrast between her reality and hopes was heartbreaking.

_I can’t keep doing this._

"I was never here.” She mutters affirmatively.

Ellie brings the rag to her neck and begins to scrub, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Her skin pinkens as she cleans. The silence in the room started to suffocate him, and Lev clasps his hands together before deciding to give her some space.

“I also just wanted you to know you’re safe until you leave,” He moves to leave her alone and opens the door before pausing in the doorway. “I’ll check on you later,” He says quietly, nearly asking permission. Ellie doesn’t respond, and with that, he softly closes the door.

She takes a deep breath and slowly begins to unbutton her shirt. Ellie listens to Lev's waning footsteps and utters a deep sigh. Carefully, she reaches for the thin bar of soap and borrowed clothes. Holding up the shirt, she can't help but notice it smells vaguely of the basement. She tosses it onto the bed and works to painfully remove her bloodied one. Ellie quickly finds that removing her dirtied undershirt is a nearly impossible task. "Ah, shit," She growls, taking great care to pull it free over her head. Dizziness, with her injuries, had depleted her entirely.

Haven’t felt this battered since - well, since I got the shit kicked out of me by Abby’s crony. She's brought back to the basement again and questions if she'll ever truly be able to escape from it.

She tosses the shirt on the bed and twists her neck to scrutinize the wound. Ellie can only catch a glimpse of a jagged row of stitches, which disappeared to wrap around her flank. The sight induces a grimace; it hurts just as bad as it looks.

_It's worse than I thought._

_...this complicates things._

She would have to be mindful and keep a watchful eye on it to monitor for infection. Tending to it in the journey home would surely put a damper on her pace. She rests her chin in her hands before making an effort to clean herself before the water became lukewarm. A wave of sickness washes over, and she touches a welt on her skull where she crashed into the hearth.

_I feel like I've been run over. How the hell am I going to get out of here like this?_

Sourly, she glances at the glass of water by the bedside. Ellie thinks of Abby's snide suggestion and swallows. Her mouth is impossibly dry.

Ellie reaches to clasp the glass angrily and stares at it, her nose wrinkled in contempt. She couldn't wrap her head around the possibility of the other woman pummeling her close to death, only to piece her back together again.

Ellie thinks of where she might be if Abby hadn't bothered. If she wanted, she could’ve tossed her out in the woods. Perhaps, had she been left to bleed to death, she would be with Joel and Tommy -

She takes a long draw of water and wipes her mouth, annoyed at the tears that seemed to be welling in her eyes. Her body and pride had been decidedly broken. Humiliated, she slams the glass on the nightstand.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie pries fruitlessly at the window, annoyed to find it had been hammered shut. She halts at a sharp pinch in her side, and she throws up her hands in defeat. A pair of buried, rusted nails tease her from the windowsill, and she grumbles unintelligibly in frustration. Some air would be nice. Claustrophobic and restless, the sounds of Abby and Lev jovially carrying about their lives was maddening. Being bedridden only gave her time to fantasize about how to kill her without being thwarted.. Restless, sleep quickly became a foreign concept.

She wipes a sheen of nervous sweat from her brow and glances over her shoulder at the closed door. Her pack of personal items – sans weapons, sat ready to go on the floor. It wouldn’t take much to break the window, but she wasn’t confident it would go unnoticed.

Ellie imagines how much force it might take to jam a pen in Abby’s throat. _There had to be something I could use_.

She looks around for a suitable substitute.

 _I could break the drinking glass,_ she thinks, glancing at the cup on the nightstand. _A shard of glass would do the trick._ She plots how to do it quietly without alerting the pair to her plan. _Shattering the window would surely draw too much attention, and it would need to be an ambush. Perhaps I could ask for a fork? I’ll need to strengthen up_. _If I pretend to be asleep... if Abby were to come in the room, I could force it through her eye-_

_And what about Lev?_

She keeps obsessively circling back to this question, and the thought makes her feel profoundly guilty. Ellie knew Lev wouldn't allow her to go unscathed if she went through with it...and killing him certainly wasn't an option.

A soft knock at the door rattles her from her thoughts. A smothered voice calls from the other side.

"....can I come in?" Abby's fist lingers awkwardly as she tempers her desire to barge in.

Ellie stares at the door with narrowed eyes, unsure of what to say.

"Am I allowed to say no?" Ellie croaks.

Abby rolls her eyes and leans her shoulder against the door.

"I mean, sure, if you don't want your shit -"

"Come in."

Abby slowly opens the door and steps in, Ellie's pack in hand. Abby stares at her for a moment before allowing the other's bag to plop on the floor.

"You can get your firearms back when you leave," Abby crosses her arms and eyes the other woman curiously. She looks a lot better now she's not covered in blood. “There’s nothing you can use shank me in there. I’ve checked.”

Ellie chooses not to acknowledge her, hoping her disappointment isn’t evident.

"I see you’re still not dead,” She says, crossing her arms. Ellie remains silent.

"How are you feeling?" Abby prods.

Ellie clasps her hands together so tightly her knuckles were starting to turn white. She shoots her disdainful glance. Abby’s mild friendliness made her wildly uncomfortable, and she turns to gaze out the window in response. How am I feeling?

  
“…you almost killed me. Why didn’t you?” Ellie mutters, exasperated. Abby grimaces.

"Because Lev's taken a liking to you,” Abby watches as the other woman narrows her eyes, and an eyebrow raises as she spots something unusual. She steps a bit closer, leaning in to have a closer look.

Ellie recoils Abby approaches, confused at what the hell she was studying -

"What are you doing?" She asks defensively. Having her so close to her made her entirely nervous. She stumbles, taking a step back only to be met with the bedroom wall.

Abby ignores her and holds up her finger, slowly drawing it to Ellie's nose and back.

"This some kind of mind game?" Ellie mumbles, wishing she could melt through the drywall to get away from her.

"Your eyes," Abby grumbles and moves away from her, leaving Ellie room to catch her breath. "Ever heard of nystagmus?"

The smaller woman stares at her broodingly.

"Means your eyes are quivering. You have a concussion.”

Ellie’s face contorts.

_Please don’t ever use **quivering** to describe me ever again -_

"You don't say?" She rubs tiredly at her temple and turns away, wishing she had simply told her to fuck off instead of coming in. “Can’t say I’m fucking surprised.”

Abby snorts, unamused.

"You should be resting, is what I mean, instead of whatever it is you’re doing. Like trying to _fucking_ escape -" Her tone mimics Ellie’s propensity for swear words.

“I’m not trying to escape,” Ellie eyes her resentfully as she steps around her, sensitive to the notion that a flying fist could hurtle towards her at any moment. She slowly stoops to grab her back and drags it to bed, where she sits.

“Good. You won’t go far, not like that,” Abby smirks.

“This all you came to do? Return what you stole and… heckle me?” Ellie grumbles, going through her backpack to ascertain Abby hadn’t decided to keep anything person for herself. Most of her belongings were still here, including her cards. Abby watches Ellie shuffle them, finding it rather amusing that she was accounting for them all. She spots an uneven blotch on Ellie’s shirt and speaks up.

“Let me see your stitches.”

Ellie offers her an expression that led Abby to believe she believed her to be out of her mind.

“What?”

“Let me see how they’re holding up,” Abby suggests sternly.

“They’re fine -“ Ellie stammers angrily, not prepared to reciprocate any genial interaction of any kind.

“Oh, you sure?” Abby points to the back of Ellie’s shirt. “You’re bleeding through your bandage and your shirt -”

Ellie clenches her teeth and twists her shirt to see another bloodspot forming on the fabric. She groans and lifts her shirt to inspect the bandaged wound. Its inconvenient location made it difficult to see the full extent of the pop. Perhaps trying to open the window had been too much.

“It’s fine,” Ellie whispers uncertainly, standing to approach the vanity mirror. “I can handle it,” She twists her body and gently pries at the tape to inspect the damage.

 _Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself,_ Abby thinks, watching Ellie peel back the dressing.

“Do you mind?” Ellie growls, gesturing for Abby to leave.

“Sutures are in the basement. I’ll be right back. Don’t try anything,”

“Wait-” Ellie opens her mouth to dispute her, but Abby's already gone. “-that’s really…so unnecessary,” Ellie groans and returns her gaze to the mirror, trying to garner a better look at the impossibly placed wound. She squeezes her eyes closed. More than anything, she wanted to recoil from Abby’s assistance. Still, the alternative of caving to her desire to hurl abuse at the other woman didn’t bode well for her.

Ellie stares at the cracked door and listens to the distinct thud of Abby’s boots as she approaches her room.

“Still figure you can manage it yourself?” She remarks, shaking a sealed package of sutures in her hand. Ellie glares at her before lowering her gaze to the floor.

“Does Lev know how to stitch…?”

“Tch. I can ask if he’d like to practice if you’d like?” Abby turns to shout into the hallway. “Hey, _Lev_ \- !”

Ellie throws up a hand, cringing at her volume.

“Stop…! I wouldn’t really make him do that,“ Ellie mutters, massaging a temple. _Please just shut up and leave._

Abby reigns in an impatient sigh. “I’m literally just trying to get you out of here without having the kid on my conscious. Could you not make this more difficult for yourself?”

“ _You’re consc_ – the _kid_?” Ellie sputters and raises her head, reminiscent of a cobra, insulted by the insinuation she was somehow culpable for this. She hardly knew where to start. Abby stares blankly at her.

Ellie tugs at the hem of her shirt, her lips pursed into a thin line. She supposed the faster her shoes could pound the trail and find a hole to die in, the better.

“Could you at least close the door first?” Ellie grumbles, revealing the bandage under her ribcage. She sits tensely, watching as Abby moves to gently close the door.

Abby raises a bow, hoping her face didn’t reflect her genuine amusement. She obliges and pushes the door shut. If looks could kill, Abby knew she would probably spontaneously combust.

Ellie swallows, staring fiercely ahead as Abby borrows a chair from a nearby writing desk. She untucks the medical field kit from under her arm and lies it on the bed to unroll. She peruses the pack for a new package of sutures and plucks one free.

“Guessing you’ve done this before me,” Ellie croaks hoarsely. If Abby could piece her together the first time, she could only assume her involvement in the WLF had readied her for more than just senseless murder.

“You guess, or you hope?” Abby scrubs her hands in a fresh bucket of freezing water. She dries her hands on a towel and glances over her shoulder to be met with Ellie’s silence and her scowl. “I’ve done this a few times. Unfortunately.“ She finally answers.

Ellie feels herself grow rigid at their proximity.

“It’s easier if you lie down,” Abby prods impatiently.

“Sitting up is just fine,” Ellie grumbles uncomfortably.

"Suit yourself," Abby sighs but obliges her refusal and rips open a fresh package of sutures. They were also expired, but she was hoping they would hold up as well as the first. Ellie’s eyes peer over her own shoulder to presumably oversee her handiwork.

“If I wanted to take you out, it wouldn’t matter if you were watching me,” Abby says coolly, steadying the needle between her fingertips.

Ellie grumbles and turns her attention forward. She thinks of the pistol resting on Abby’s hip and if she would be able to move quick enough to snatch it. Maybe if I were in peak condition, I could get away with it -

Ellie hisses as something pushes against the wound.

“Godd _amn_ -!”

“I’ve got to clean it. What do you want me to do?” Abby snaps, pressing to dab a soaked piece of gauze against the laceration. Ellie grits her teeth, uttering a long list of expletives, some of which Abby hadn’t heard before. This had been remarkably easier while she was unconscious.

Ellie grips the comforter and squeezes her eyes closed, bracing for the pain. She was wholly unprepared for the warmth of Abby’s palm braced against her skin. She flinches away, and Abby pulls away, clicking her teeth in annoyance.

 _Hm_. Abby’s eyes wander to the scars present across the hips and lower back. Some were still fresh. She had the body of a soldier.

Inexplicable rage watches over Ellie, and she’s forced to bite her lip. Instantly, she wants to flee.

“You should have just ended me,” She mutters suddenly, and Abby’s taken aback by the comment. Surprisingly, she sounded despondent rather than furious. Abby takes a deep breath and pushes the needle under Ellie’s skin. She growls under her breath. The area is swollen and inexplicably tender.

“Maybe I should have,” Abby murmurs, steadying her hand. “Stay still.”

Ellie feels herself trembling, glad she could shift blame onto the sordid temperature. It was in the late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to hide beyond the mountain for the evening. For some reason, she’s reminded of Joel’s closed casket and how flowers had been out-of-season for her to bury him with a spray. The next few minutes pass slowly. Ellie feels flooded with anxiety as she realizes that the warmth on her shoulders is Abby’s breath. She feels infuriatingly human.

“There. You’re done,” Abby clears her throat and straightens her back. Abby takes a moment to inspect her work; not the neatest job, but it would have to do. Not Mel-quality, but it would have to do. She sees Ellie take a deep breath and can’t help but notice she seems thinner and weaker since their meeting in Jackson. She would have never guessed she would be here now, doctoring her for Lev’s sake.

“Ellie -” Abby starts slowly, trying to find the right words. She pauses and scratches at her neck.

Ellie screws her eyebrows together, revolted to hear a tinge of affection in her voice.

“What?”

“…I’m sorry about what happened to you in Jackson.”

Ellie turns her head, unsure if she had heard her correctly.

“I didn’t mean for anyone else to get hurt. I’m sorry for that–“

“Sorry for what happened to me?” Ellie repeats in disbelief, insulted by her boorish apology. “You and your buddies had me eating meals through a straw for two weeks... but you’re sorry?“

Abby stays silent, instantly regretting her incentive to apologize.

Ellie’s even tone breaks, and she raises her voice. “You made Joel suffer, and I begged you... I fucking begged you to stop, and you just looked at me-“ Ellie begins to feel herself slipping. She knows precisely how hard Abby had to swing and how many times it could take to put someone out of their misery.

“-you didn’t just kill him once,” Ellie seethes, much more calmly than before. “I see it every day, in my sleep - all the time…I see it, over and over, again and again. How about an apology for that?”

  
_How many strikes had it taken him to die? S_ he thinks of how long Nora’s body had resisted death. Ellie wonders if Abby would kill her if she knew.

  
The vitriol in her voice feels like poison in her blood, and Abby turns her head away. She blinks away her desire to retort, reminded of her and Mel’s last encounter in the aquarium. Her obsession for revenge had pushed her to do things that seemed mad, but truly, she regretted nothing.

  
“-I’ll never forgive you for that. Ever. You’re a monster,” By the time Ellie’s done speaking, she’s shaking furiously. She was convinced fate had to be cruel to place her here.

  
Abby was so close, within arm’s reach, and rather than begging for her life, Joel’s killer was doctoring a wound she was too pathetic to tend to herself. It was ironic to the point of cruelty.

Abby bites her tongue and instead turns to roll the medical kit closed. Desperately, she wanted this conversation to be over with. What did I expect? Abby knew that no pittance of an apology could make up for what she had done. Abby cuts the suture and quickly stands to exit. Her skin flushes hot, and the desire to leave was overwhelming her.

Ellie finally feels she can draw a breath without Abby’s hands on her.

“Joel wasn’t a good man, Ellie. _He murdered my father._ I did what I had to do,“ she grumbles as she rises to stand but snaps her jaw closed, feeling her blood run cold as she listens to herself.

“You enjoyed it. I saw you, you only did what you wanted -“

Abby aggressively tosses the field kit onto Ellie’s nightstand in response.

“Do it yourself next time. You’re welcome,” Abby mutters bitterly and paces to the door. Without a backward glance, she exits the room and slams the door closed behind her. _So, fucking ungrateful -_

Ellie’s left sitting on the bed, furious. She roughly yanks her undershirt down to cover her chilled flesh. She can still sense the pressure of Abby’s warm hand under her ribcage, and she desperately wishes she hadn’t agreed to let her help at all.

She wants to scream.

Viewing her as a demon, as a figment of immorality, had been so much easier. 

_I can’t believe I let her touch me._

She raises her head, noting the door was left unlocked. Though she may not have her weapons, it didn’t matter. Ellie reaches for her coat and zips it to her throat before laboriously donning her shoes. She reaches for the med kit and dumps it ferociously in her backpack.

_It would be a cold day in hell before I sleep a night in this place._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Lev leans against the railing on the porch, staring at the gifted trading card in his hands. The painted twins stare back at him, and he wonders why they were called the Starfire Kids to begin with. He flips the card over to read it, discouraged to see the corner had been bent in his pocket. Lev straightens it out with a thumb.

  
Overlooking the pond, he finds solace in watching a sparse flock of ducks skimming the frigid surface. The view provided a suitable distraction from the day’s chaos. Despite his reunion with Abby, he was painfully conflicted over the electric animosity between her and Ellie. He speculated that if he had been honest to begin with, perhaps this entire mess could have been avoided altogether.

He tries to speculate if Ellie would have assisted him if he had told her the truth. _Would she have used me for leverage? Or maybe she would have killed me_. _Is this really all my fault?_

He’s distracted by the sound of a back door sliding open. Abby steps out, noticeably nettled. Lev watches as she stalks over to browse an abandoned woodpile left by the stairs. She tries to sort through the driest, salvageable pieces to use to warm them through the night.

“We’ll need to chop some more firewood tomorrow,” Abby says, flinging some unusable chunks over the railing. They hit the ground with a sad ‘thud.’

“I can help you,” Lev proposes, feeling Abby’s uncertain displeasure.

She hums agreement, standing with the bundle of wood in her arms. She sets it on a nearby rocking chair and moves to join him, absorbing the view. Abby takes a deep breath.

“You were right about everything, you know,” Lev tries to assure her with a half-hearted smile. “The lodge is just like you said it would be.”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if it wasn’t,” Abby looks at him, feeling her heart grow lighter. It was growing bitterly cold in the evenings. She blows out a puff of air, and it lingers in front of her. Sunset sucked the life out of the mountains, and the evenings grew progressively inhospitable outdoors.

“What were those used for?” Lev asks curiously, pointing across the clearing. She narrows her eyes and focuses.

“Kennels. For dogs,” Abby answers, reminded of the hound that had followed her to the lodge. “The Fireflies kept them to guard the place and keep their research safe,” Abby draws her coat closer to her neck and stuffs her hands in her pockets. “They really had this place on lockdown while I was out here.” She’s reminded of her father and how he had been particularly fond of the dogs and rich wildlife life that inhabited the mountains. He really hated having to spend so much time buried in his studies.

“And that?” He points to an adjacent stone structure. Abby finds comfort in questions she knows the answer to, finding his excitement refreshing.

“That’s a smokehouse. The Fireflies called it the salthouse though, since that’s where all the salt was stored to stay dry,” She smiles at the curiosity in his voice. “It’s where you hang meat to cure, and it stays cool in the summer. There were a lot of people to feed out here at one point.”

“Ah, cool. Could we use it?” He’s reminded of similar structures on his home island.

“I don’t see why not. We’ll need to get some meat first,” Abby chuckles, too tired to think about hunting or tracking. Abby’s nose wrinkles a cold sting touches her nose. She looks skyward, to be greeted by the first signs of snow. “Not unless you’d prefer to keep eating the powdered stuff-“

“No thanks,” Lev replies, shaking his head. The two relax in comfortable silence until Abby spots someone familiar stalking across the yard.

“Ellie…?” Lev whispers. “What is she doing?”

Abby’s eyes narrow as she watches the other woman limp to the edge of the pond, backpack in tow.

The pair watches as Ellie beelines decidedly the smokehouse and flings open the front door. She was moving slowly. Abby wondered if she was running on pure spite at this point.

“Should we stop her?” Lev asks out of concern. Abby stares straight ahead, boring into the other woman’s back in the distance. She watches as Ellie disappears inside the building.

“No,” Abby states firmly. What the hell are you doing? Ellie’s weapons were secured in the basement, and she had little doubt she would go far without them. With the gash in her side, she was impressed to see she had made it beyond the porch.

If she pops another stitch because of that backpack, she’s on her own.

“But it’s freezing- “

“Let her go. She’ll come back when she gets hungry,” Abby grumbles and crosses her arms. Abby looks around them, her gaze settling on a metal fire pit on the deck. She scoops up the scavenged wood and begins to arrange it.

Lev turns to look at her. That’s what his mother used to say about the explorative cats in the village. He swallows and looks at the miserable shed-like structure.

“Want to sit out here for a while and welcome the snow?” Abby shouts.

“Sure,” Lev whispers, turning away from the pond, finding it hard to ignore Ellie’s desperate endeavor.

“Go grab another coat, yeah?” Abby encourages. Lev slips back into the firelit lodge to grab another layer. She watches him disappear down the hall and into the foyer before lifting her head to glare at the smokehouse.

_What are you thinking? Idiot._

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie presses her ear to the door, listening for sounds of activity in the den. Met with silence, she pushes the door open to be greeted by a dying fire in the hearth. She tightly grips the pack slung haphazardly over one shoulder. A brief check of the room confirms she is alone, and she limps as briskly as her body will allow her to the front entrance. On the way out, she plucks a knife from a knifeblock on the kitchen counter. Stuffing it in her jacket, she trudges across the porch and down the stairs.

_Maybe I'm crazy -_

Ellie winces and clutches her side.

_But I can't stay in this house._

She clutches the stair railing at the bottom and stares down the long, winding path leading to the highway.

_I'm going to end up hurting someone. Whether it's Abby or myself -_

The general store is the closest shelter from here. Ellie gnaws at her lip. Too far to reach by nightfall in this condition. She turns instead to the edge of the pond. A somber, stone structure placed at the edge of the property commands her attention.

She stews on the possibility.

_This will do._

She sets off, each step delivering a biting pain to her flank. She ignores it, realizing it has started to lightly snow. It didn't matter to her if the entire wound came unraveled; she just needed to be alone. Ellie looks at the slate-colored sky and scowls. The grounds of the lodge felt much more extensive in this state. She approaches the building with caution, inspecting the exterior.

_It's small but fine enough to sleep in._

The door screams open on a set of rusted hinges, and paranoia forces her to check over her shoulder. Ellie finds Abby relaxing on the back porch, watching her, and her casual demeanor makes her want to implode.

Her eyes narrow.

_You should be terrified of me._

"Fuck off," Ellie mutters under her breath, turning on her flashlight and redirecting her attention inside. If Abby wanted to stare, she was welcome. Ellie steps inside, immediately taken by how cold it was. A tiny, rectangular window on the door served as the only window to the outside. She’s forced to shine her flashlight around the squalid room, startled to see a row of meat hooks strung from the ceiling.

  
Further exploration revealed a short staircase leading to a faux room under the floor. Bags upon bags of salt had been left stacked on a pallet in a corner. Ellie swallows and leans against a concrete wall to rest for a while. The short excursion had wiped her completely.

Without a chimney, she would have to do without one indoors. Ellie wipes at her eyes, looking around the somber room. There were a few old meat-houses like this Jackson, neglected in preference for actual electric refrigeration. Ellie groans and drops her pack to the floor. At least they didn’t leave anything to rot…

Slowly, she hobbles her way outside, refusing to look toward the lodge. She uses a boot to scrape away a circle of patchy, dying grass to make way for a fire.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

It was getting late.

She yawns and stretches her arms before moving to head inside. Lev had already retired for the night to get some sleep. The snowfall had stopped for now, but she had all ideas it would be back in the coming days. She pauses to offer a lasting glance at the pond.

_No use to police her. She wouldn't be able to do much if she wanted to, except brood._

Abby peers over the railing to see a piteous fire glowing by the smokehouse. A figure huddles close to it, their back turned.

_I remember Dad said she was fifteen when she came into the hospital._

_Not much older than Lev._

Her lips twist in a sneer, and she stands to head indoors.

_Why do I feel so horrible?_

She grumbles and makes her way down the hall, down into the basement to ready herself for bed.

The basement glows a soft orange, lit by a furnace. Abby ambles over and crouches to feed the opening a few chunks of wood to keep them warm for a little while longer. Running low on firewood, she notes. She eyes the pile of blankets on her bunk and plucks a few from the stack, along with a few scraps of firewood by the furnace.

"What are you doing?"

Abby spins to greet Lev's yawning face, startled to see he's awake. He raises himself from the bunk above hers, and wipes his eyes to push the sleep away.

"Charity. I was going to leave it at the bottom of the stairs," Abby remarks after a long pause. "Would you like to do the honors?"

He tries to hide a knowing smile. "I don't mind."

There was an unspoken understanding that the injured woman would be more receptive of him anyway.

"Here," She hands him her pistol, the same one lifted from the Wolf corpse. He holds it in his hands, surprised by the weight of it.

"Just in case. I think you can handle it, yeah?" Perhaps it wasn't too heavy for him to carry after all. She had been quick to confiscate Ellie's pistol and tuck it safely away with her rifles in the basement. The river had claimed Lev's handgun, and it seemed appropriate for him to have it.

"If she tries anything..." Abby starts, slitting her eyes.

"I don't think she will," Lev bundles up the firewood inside the blanket to carry under his arm.

"-but if she does?"

Lev huffs and pats the newly gifted pistol on his hip. Abby nods approvingly.

  
She escorts him to the deck and watches as he bobs down the stairs. Leaning against the railing, she watches him make his way to cross the yard.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ** **⋆** **Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

Ellie drapes her coat over her shoulders, yanking her hood over her head and ears. Her nose shines a bright red from the chill, and she could hardly feel her fingertips. She was willing to sacrifice the warmth of the lodge if it meant her spirit wasn't suffocated by Abby's repellant presence.

She hunches forward to retain as much of her own heat as she could. On her lap, she has her journal turned to the final page and scours her previous entry. A heavy hand carves a single sentence into the paper.

'Found her.' She circles the words and taps her pen against the page. Her lips draw together in a thin line as a bark echoes distantly in the forest.

  
_If I return to Jackson without Tommy, what will everyone think?_

She would have nothing else to show for her troubles, save her a bruised ego and a nasty scar.

Ellie circles the over and over, leaving an unsightly scribble. She grows unsettled, never having questioned if she would return to Jackson. It had always been a matter of when she would return, with Tommy in tow, along with a magnificent welcoming home. Now that she had ascertained he was dead, that fantasy had been shattered. With the little energy she harbored, Ellie begins to draw on her last remaining page to soothe herself.

She can barely see his face over the wad of material in his hands. He slows to a stop several meters away and peers around the stack.

“Am I…safe to deliver these?” He asks.

Ellie pauses before raising her arm to form a finger gun.

“Bang,” Ellie voices unenthusiastically and lowers her gun. “Yeah, Lev. You’re safe. Thank you, you really didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, it wasn’t just me, and it’s freezing out here. I can’t feel my face – “

“I’ve dealt with worse,” Ellie offers him a thin smile.

Lev approaches and drops the firewood onto the ground and offers her the stack of blankets. She slowly reaches to take them before enveloping herself with one. Lev hums and carefully adds some wood onto her fire to substantiate the puny flames.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Ellie chides, warming her hands. She’s surprised that Abby didn’t have him reined away from her.

“Neither should you,” Lev hums, warming his hands on the blooming flame. Ellie smirks and shrugs her shoulders. “Come back inside?”

Ellie motions around them. “I’m just fine here. I’ll be out of here soon enough, anyway,” She dryly assures him.

He exhales, starting to garner that she was more stubborn than anticipated. Somewhere in the forest, a dog howls and a symphony of high-pitched cries echo in response. Ellie’s touches the knife tucked inside of her coat, wondering if the coyotes were bold enough to approach the fire.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” He shoves his hands into his pockets and turns to head back inside. Making his way slowly across the yard, he finds himself deep in thought. Ellie listens to the crunch of frosted grass as he walks uphill toward the back-porch steps. He slows to a stop and stares at his boots.

“Ellie, I know I probably shouldn’t…” He turns back to look at her, and she meets his eyes. “-but I know Abby. She does feel bad about what happened between you two.”

Ellie directs her attention back to the fire. She didn’t want to talk about it.

“It probably doesn’t mean much, but I think you’re more alike than you think- “

“Goodnight, Lev.”

He takes her grim expression as a bid farewell.

“…goodnight. Just knock if you want to come in,” With that, he quickly trots up the stairs and Ellie watches him climb to the deck. She glares at Abby’s familiar face peering crossly through the glass door to welcome him inside. Her looming frame slides it open for him to slip into the warm comfort of the lodge.

  
Angrily, Ellie scratches out the fire and draws the borrowed blanket close under her chin. With a grimace, she grabs her backpack and lugs it to the entrance of the smokehouse.

_A lot more alike than you think?_

Incensed, she flings open the door and slinks across the threshold. Ellie clutches her side and slams it closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naturally, our girls are off to a rough start.
> 
> Thanks so much to those who have left feedback and kudos. I'm really looking forward to the next few chapters and exploring the mysteries of the lodge along the way. 
> 
> Stay tuned for chapter three, “salthouse".
> 
> See you soon. :)
> 
> Feel free to follow quillsickink.tumblr.com for related updates.


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